Acceptance
by enb2004
Summary: Snape mentors Harry. No slash! Snape rescues Harry from the Dursley's, only meaning to save the boy. But when they become emotionally attached, they find themselves in a constantly changing world, where acceptance and love are the only means to survival.
1. The Letter

Acceptance

Chapter One: The Letter

Ron, Harry, and Hermione were standing on Platform 9 ¾ after their fourth year. Harry was dreading going back to his Aunt and Uncles house. He had been ever since breakfast that morning, when it finally hit him that he would be going back there. He'd been so preoccupied with thoughts of the fourth task he hadn't given it much thought. Scared of what might happen to his owl, he opened her cage and whispered "Hedwig, go back to Hogwarts, girl." With a soft _hoot_ and a swish of her wings, she did as she was told.

That done, Harry turned back to Ron and Hermione, who were still talking softly together. "You guys ready?" he asked.

They both turned and looked at him. Hermione detected instantly that he looked different. Since the third task Harry had looked sad, depressed, thoughtful, and guilty. But now he looked worried. "Are you alright, Harry?

Harry almost laughed out loud. He thought, _Yeah, Hermione, I'm just great. I practically killed Cedric, Voldemort has been resurrected, and who knows how many people are now going to die. All because of me. And now I'm get to go back to my LOVING Aunt and Uncle's! Yes, I'm just splendid!_ Not that he said any of this out loud. Out loud, he said, "Yeah, Hermione, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Neither seemed to notice Hedwig's empty cage.

They passed though the barrier. The first thing they noticed was the rest of the Weasley's. But then again, a large group of redheads was extremely hard to miss. When Mrs. Weasley noticed Harry, she gave him a long hug that would rival Hagrid's. When she pulled away, she had tears in her eyes. She said in a shaky voice and a smile on her mouth, "You take care of yourself, you got that young man?"

Harry nodded, touched that she would care so much. "Yes Mrs. Weasley."

"You promise?" she asked.

"Of course," Harry replied.

She stood looking at him for a while before pulling him into another, shorter, less bone crushing hug. Harry felt himself relaxing in the tender, motherly embrace. All too soon for Harry, it was over.

She managed another smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and tilted her head back, pointing with her head someone standing behind her. "You'd better get going. That uncle of yours seems pretty mad."

Harry looked around Mrs. Weasley to a red-faced Uncle Vernon.

"Good idea," Harry replied.

He gave both Ron and Hermione hugs.

"Promise me you'll owl us often," Hermione whispered as they hugged.

"Alright Hermione. I promise." The hug ended. "Bye guys. See you soon!" he said as he walked away.

The closer he got to Uncle Vernon, the more murderous the man began to look. "I see you had the _brains _not to bring that ruddy owl," he growled as they started walking.

"Yes, Uncle Vernon" Harry said.

The ride home was spent in complete silence. When they got to number four, Privet Drive, Harry got out, and went to the trunk to get his trunk. But before he could, Uncle Vernon said in a low and dangerous voice "Oh NO you don't," and grabbed Harry's wrist _very_ hard and virtually dragged Harry inside. Waiting in the kitchen was an _EXTREMELY_ irate looking Aunt Petunia.

"Let me get this strait: the man who murdered my sister and her good for nothing husband, and landed YOU on our doorstep, who YOU supposedly killed, is now live again because of YOU, and NOW _YOU _have to spend ANOTHER summer with us because of it??" she said in one long breath. "IS THAT CORRECT!!"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia" Harry said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"You disgust me, _boy,_" Uncle Vernon spat. With that, he grabbed Harry by the ear, and tossed him into the cupboard under the stairs.

Harry could just barely hear Uncle Vernon say, "Ungrateful brat."

Harry was now all alone in his dark cupboard. Alone with nothing but the thoughts of the third task swirling in his head.

He suddenly remembered something. While he was packing, he put the photo album Hargid had given him at the end of first year under his large baggy shirt. He pulled it out. It was impossible to see in the dark, but it was a relief knowing he had it. It was something they couldn't take away. From his pocket he pulled out his wand, and placed both on one of the shelves. He took off Dudley's old shirt that served as a kind of sweater, and bundled it up like a pillow, and went to sleep.

But sleep was not something that had come very easily to the Boy-who-Lived since the third task. He was constantly plagued by dreams of the third task and the events that took place after. Voldemort's gruesome body, Wormtail cutting off his hand, the Death Eaters, Moody turning into Crouch, Cedric's dead body…Cedric's dead body… those lifeless eyes.

Harry woke up suddenly, the guilt of what he'd done too much for him. All he could think was 'I killed Cedric, I killed all the people I know are going to die because Voldemort is back…I killed Cedric…I killed Cedric…I killed Cedric…I killed…..' and he fell into another restless sleep.

The next morning, Aunt Petunia was banging loudly on Harry's door for him to wake up. "I'm up, I'm up," he slurred.

He went into the kitchen. "Make breakfast boy. And hurry. My poor Duddleykinns has to eat. They starved you at school, didn't they my Duddleypoo," she said to Dudley.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia," Harry replied, and made breakfast. When he was done, he went to go sit down.

"What do you think you're doing, boy?" Uncle Vernon demanded.

"Eating breakfast, Uncle Vernon."

"Oh, no you're not," and with that he whipped out a piece of paper. On it was a lot of chores. A LOT of chores. "Now get to work, boy," he demanded.

The first item on the long list was 'Clean our bedroom and bathroom.' And so Harry did.

Two weeks later, the pattern had changed little for Harry. Get up, make breakfast, do what ever backbreaking chores he could, maybe get something to eat, if he was lucky. If he was even luckier, which he rarely was, escape the wrath of Uncle Vernon, fall into a restless sleep, get up, and do the whole thing over again.

&

Meanwhile, Hermione and Ron were getting VERY worried. Harry hadn't answered one of their owls. They all returned unopened. Hermione was especially worried because Harry had promised her he would write. She knew Ron had told his dad about their worries, but there wasn't much he could do about it. She knew that Sirius would want to know what was happening, but he was on the lam, and therefore, he would only be worried needlessly. She finally made up her mind. She would write Dumbledore. He would know what to do.

_Dear Professor Dumbledore,_

_I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I'm really very worried about Harry. He promised he would write me, and he hasn't. Ron and I have both sent him several owls, but they've all come back unopened. I'm scared something might be wrong. Please help, if you can. I don't know what to do._

_Your student,_

_Hermione _

She also wrote a letter to Ron explaining what was in the letter to Dumbledore, and sent them both with Pig, who was delivering Ron's letter to her.

&

Several hours later, Pig flew into Dumbledore's office. He was, at the moment, extremely busy, because he only planned on remaining at Hogwarts for that day before leaving to go see relatives for the rest of the summer. All Order business would be conducted at his daughter's house for the rest of the summer. However, seeing Pig definitely caught his interest.

After reading the letter, he too was worried. He knew Hermione was an extremely reasonable girl, and didn't get worried very often. He also knew that Harry was a man of his word, and if he broke his promise to write Hermione, then something must be wrong.

He thought: _Harry can't go to either the Burrow, or the Granger residence, and neither place was safe enough for Harry. He can't come with me. I'm seeing my family, and I'd rather he'd not be all that involved with the Order, anyway. He can't go with Sirius or Remus, as both are currently on missions for me, and would be until the end of the summer. Well Remus anyway, he's coming back to teach. And the only professor here is Severus. . . ._ At that thought, a smile grew on his lips. _Severus__. Perfect. Maybe if they spend the summer together, they could work through this mutual loathing they seem to have for each other. Now, the only problem is how to convince Severus. . . ._

&

Severus was in his own private quarters reading a book, unsurprisingly, about potions, when he heard a knock at the door. "Come in."

With that Dumbledore entered. "Ah, Severus, just the man I was looking for," Dumbledore said with a simile on his face, and a twinkle in his eye.

"Obviously, otherwise you would not be down here," Severus said dryly without looking up.

"Quite true, quite true," Dumbledore said as he sat down on a black chair across from the black couch Severus was currently spread out on.

The room was sparsely furnished, with only two black chairs, a black couch, a mahogany table in the center, a Slytherin green rug under said furnishings, a fireplace, and several bookshelves, stacked full of very thick books.

"May I assume this isn't a casual visit, Albus?" Severus said, finally looking up.

"Right then. Strait to business. I need a favor."

Severus rolled his eyes. "I should have known."

"I need you to pick up Harry Potter. . ."

"You want me to do what?" he asked in his low, menacing voice.

"And I need you to watch over him the rest of the summer," Dumbledore said as though he hadn't heard the outburst.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no! I _refuse _to let _my _summer be ruined by_ that spoiled brat_!! I will _not _'rescue' him, and I especially will _not _watch_ him_, of all people!!" he vented.

"Are you quite finished, Severus?"

"Oh, I have yet to begin. Let me ask, _why_ on earth does POTTER need 'rescuing?' Exactly how much trouble can he get in over the summer? And why do _I _have to be the one to rescue him, let alone watch him? What about Weasley, or Granger, or the Mutt, or Lupin, or you for that matter?"

"I need you to 'rescue' him because Ms. Granger thinks he might be in trouble. . ."

"You expect me to drop everything because Granger has a hunch??"

"I hardly call reading 'everything,' and yes I do."

Severus digested this for awhile. "Well, I suppose since you have my mild curiosity, what kind of trouble has he gotten into now? Granger's excuse better be a good one."

"To be honest, Severus, I don't know what kind of 'trouble' he's gotten into."

Severus ground his teeth. "What do you mean, 'you don't know?'"

"Ms. Granger said that he promised he would write, and he hasn't."

"And you believe her? How do you know its not some prank?"

"Because I trust her."

"You never answered my other question."

"Which was…"

"Why can't he go with Weasley, Granger, Black, Lupin, or you?"

"Use your head, please, Severus. You are an exceptionally bright man. The Burrow isn't well enough protected to keep out Voldemort" Severus cringed at the sound of the name, but Dumbledore continued on as though he didn't notice, "Granger's parents are muggles, so they definitely can't, Sirius and Remus are doing missions for me, and I am spending my time with my family, and Order business will be conducted there. The only place where he will be safe is here at Hogwarts, and you are the only staff member still here."

"Do you actually expect that I will agree to spend most of my summer alone with Potter, at Hogwarts?"

"You could always bring him to the manor."

"No Potter will ever step foot into the manor," he growled.

"Then, yes, I do expect you to spend most of you summer alone with Potter at Hogwarts." Albus sighed. "Severus, I have no other choice. With you at Hogwarts is the last place Voldemort" Severus flinched again "would think to look. Even more so at the manor. If you have another option I will gladly hear it."

Severus contemplated exactly what it is that Dumbledore was asking of him: _A summer alone with the most spoiled child I know, with the exception of Draco. What is my life coming to? I suppose we could just ignore each other . . ._

"Where would he sleep? The dorms are closed during the summer."

"In your guest room."

Snape groaned at that, and continued thinking: _Is there another option. . . No I suppose not. If this is just some elaborate stunt that the 'Gryffindor golden trio' has hatched. . . ._

"Alright Albus. If he is in real trouble, I will collect Potter and bring him here."

"Thank you, Severus."

A/N: Please don't forget to review. I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta, HarryEstel for everything she has done to help me with this fic. Please read and review her stories. Thanks!


	2. Rescuing Harry

Acceptance

Chapter Two: Rescuing Harry

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am making no money. Etc, Etc. Let this apply to the whole story.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis', my 'sam', by beta, HarryEstel, for everything she has done for this story and me.

A/N 2: Incase you all haven't noticed, this is AU!

It was early the next morning when Severus Snape apparated to the end of Pivet Dr. He had a camera around his neck and a notebook in his hand. He was dressed in a black button down shirt, black pants, and black shoes. Even his hair was no longer greasy. He resolutely strode up to number four and rang the doorbell.

An enormous man with a huge moustache opened the door. "Can I help you?"

"Are you Vernon Dursley?" Snape asked.

"Yes. Can I help you?" he asked again.

"My name is Seth, and I am a reporter with the _Surrey Evening Times_. I'm here to interview you and you family. I am writing a piece about typical suburban life. I was wondering if I could spend the day with you and your family to observe you, and then I will include your family in the column I am writing."

Dursley's face spit into a smile, and he opened the door wider. "Please, come in."

"Thank you. A very _tasteful_ home you have here, Mr. Dursley."

Dursley apparently didn't notice the sarcasm, because his smile never faltered, and he just said "Thank you, very much. My wife, Petunia . . ."

But he never finished the sentence, because the sound of plastic hitting tile, and a soft _gasp_ made its way down to the entry way. Dursley's smile finally faltered. "Excuse me, please," he said, and he disappeared up the stairs.

Meanwhile, upstairs, before Snape arrived

Harry was scrubbing the shower with a large, plastic backed cleaning brush, but he wasn't doing a very good job because he couldn't seem to stop his hands from shaking. Since the beginning of summer, he'd been seeing almost nightly death eater meetings. The _cruciatus_ was often used, and Harry felt it as though it'd been placed directly on him. He usually wound up screaming and waking up his 'relatives' and Uncle Vernon would come down, and try to beat him, but he was usually too tired to give Harry much more than a slap.

Many muggles had been placed under the curse, and usually ended up dying, either by prolonged exposure to the _cruciatus_, or the _avada__ kedavra_, which only served to add to Harry's already guilt ridden conscience: more people were dying because of him. But muggles weren't the only ones to be placed under the _craciatus_. Many Death Eaters were placed under it as well.

Some nights, the Death Eaters would just torture muggles, what they called sport. Other nights, they would have a meeting, and then torture muggles. Whenever they would torture muggles, Snape was either not there (if they were just having 'sport') or leave, if there was a meeting first.

He'd never really tried to move around in the vision, but two nights ago, when 'Voldie' was just talking to the Death Eaters, he got up the nerve to move around. He made sure no one could see him, and last night, when a little muggle girl was under the _cruciatus_, he put himself over the little girl to try and shield her. He only was in even more excruciating pain, and therefore screamed louder, and it did nothing to shield her. He couldn't move from on top of her, and finally passed out. Since that was just last night his hands were shaking violently. He'd been under the curse so much, he almost felt like he was still under it, even when he was doing his chores. Last night was so horrible, he was surprised he could hold the brush at all, let alone scrub.

Just then, the doorbell rang. He strained to hear who it was. When Snape's voice came floating up the stairs to him, he dropped the brush and let out a small gasp. What was Hogwart's most feared and hated professor, the man who had gone out of his way to make is four years at Hogwarts as bad as they could be, doing HERE!!??!!

His train of thought was abruptly cut off when he heard Uncle Vernon pounding up the stairs. His Uncle came into the bathroom, grabbed Harry by the hair, and pulled him out of the shower. "If I hear one more peep out of you, you won't get fed for a month, and you most certainly will NOT be going back to that FREAK school of yours," Uncle Vernon said in a dangerously low hiss.

Harry could barely manage a weak "Yes, Uncle Vernon." Uncle Vernon let go of Harry's hair so roughly, Harry was practically slammed to the back of the shower, and banged his head. He slid down onto the cold floor, and thanked Merlin when he passed into unconsciousness.

Meanwhile, down stairs…

Severus was thoroughly confused by what had just happened. He strained his hearing but could hear nothing until he heard a _thump_, and a soft, barely noticeable _crack_. Severus involuntarily flinched. The _crack_ sounded a little too much like the crack of a bone for his comfort.

Dursley came thundering back down the stairs with a smile on his face. "So Seth, let me show you around the house."

Severus allowed himself to be ushered into the living room. He was _extremely_ surprised by the sight him. All over the room there were still pictures of an extremely fat pig looking, boy at various stages of life. There was not ONE picture of Potter. Severus decided he'd better be careful not to mention Potter. He was started to get a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Weren't they supposed to be _worshipping _the boy?

"Where are your wife and son, Mr. Dursley?"

"They are out grocery shopping, they should be back any moment," Dursley said with a smile on his face. Right on cue, the front door opened. "There they are now."

The pair went back the entry. Petunia had her mouth open, like she was about to say something very loud, but stopped at the sight of Severus. "Petunia, Dudley, this is Mr. Seth. Mr. Seth, meet my wife, Petunia, and my son, Dudley." They all shook hands politely. Severus was shocked to see the morbidly obese child. There was no single child at Hogwarts who weighed half of what this boy did. He was also shocked by Petunia. He could see absolutely no resemblance to the beautiful redhead he knew at Hogwarts. Dursley explained what Severus was doing there.

Petunia and Dudley smiled even wider. "Dudley, dear, why don't you help out your mommy and bring in the bags." She said. Severus could hear an undercurrent of…warning maybe, in her voice.

"But of course, mother, I'd be glad to," pig-boy said.

"Come on Seth, let me show you the kitchen." Petunia said.

Severus let himself be guided into the kitchen. Once there, Dursley excused himself again. He was left alone with Petunia, who started talking about very inane things. Severus completely tuned her out, and instead focused on trying to hear what Dursley was doing; he could hear the man thundering up the stairs, and down the hall. He then heard him come back down the stairs, the cupboard under the stairs open, something being tossed in, followed by another soft _crack_, and the door close again.

Severus was beginning to wonder if Potter really WAS in the house. He concentrated, and muttered a spell that would sense if there's anyone one else magical in the area. The spell allowed the person who cast it the ability to 'sense' if there was another witch or wizard in the area. To his surprise, shock, and (to his own amazement) horror, he did sense someone magical in the cupboard under the stairs, whose door had just been closed. "But why would that oaf, Dursley, put Potter under the stairs? Something very strange has to be going on," Severus thought.

He didn't have the chance to ponder this at the moment, because, just then, Dursley and Dudley walked in, both out of breathe. It was fairly obvious as to why the younger Dursley was out of breath: the pig-boy was carrying one large grocery bag in each hand, and this was probably a lot of exercise for him. But why Dursley sr. would be out of breathe baffled Severus.

Upstairs…..

Harry had barely come back to consciousness, and had begun to clean the shower again when Uncle Vernon came back in. He picked up Harry, put him under his arm, clamped a hand over is mouth, and hauled him downstairs, threw him unceremoniously into the cupboard, where the already sore back of his head was hit again. He heard the cupboard slam shut, and the lock slide into place. Just as he was about to lose consciousness again, he thought he felt something magical, almost probing, but black overcame him before he could analyze it.

The day wore on annoyingly slow, too slow for the impatient Potion's Master. He took pictures, asked questions, took notes, and observed the 'normal' family. If he hadn't known there was a fourteen-year-old wizard in the cupboard under the stairs, he would have thought his was a normal household. Finally, after dinner, he said his good-byes and left. But rather than apparate back to Hogwarts, he crouched in the bushes outside, waiting for them to fall asleep so he could do what he came here to do.

But while he was waiting, he thought: "I guess I was wrong about Potter. He's obviously not the spoiled brat I thought he was. He might look like James, but if he was raised in that kind of environment, it's not possible that they would be too alike in personality. Besides being brave, sometimes stupidly so. And what were those _cracks_ I heard? They definitely sounded like a bone being broken. More like a skull cracking against a hard surface. I should know. I have, unfortunately caused many muggles to crack their skulls. Merlin, I was a horrible person. But now is not the time to ponder my horrible past. Concentrate on the present, Severus. Why would Dursley throw Potter into the cupboard under the stairs? And where was the boy's bedroom? I only saw one room that actually looked lived in by a teenage boy. One room was quite obviously a guest room. The other was full of muggle junk; there wasn't even a bed in there. And why were there a ridiculous amount of locks on a door that holds junk? But wait…wasn't that a trunk I saw in the junk room? Could that have been Potters? …Come to think of it, there was a birdcage in there too, wasn't there? They pushed me in and out of that room so quickly, I can't be sure. Could it be that Potter actually SLEEPS in that cupboard? No, they would be that cruel. I saw neither hide nor hair of the boy all day, so when did he eat? I will most certainly not treat him like that while he is under my care."

He waited about an hour after the lights upstairs went out before he finally moved out of his hiding spot. He was just about to '_Alohomora_' the front door when he felt the familiar pain on his arm that meant the Dark Lord was summoning him. He cursed, walked beyond the apparation boundaries of the house, apparated to Hogwarts, ran faster than he'd ever run before to the dungeons to grab is cloak and mask, ran even faster to beyond the apparation boundaries of Hogwarts, paused to catch his breath, and put on his mask and cloak before apparating to the Dark Lord.

He arrived in the so-called throne room of the Dark Lord's headquarters. It took the ex-Death Eater less than ½ a second to realize that he was the only one there. He knelt down in front of the Dark Lord, and kissed the hem of his robe before standing up, but keeping his head respectfully down.

Voldemort said in a low and dangerous voice "You're late Severus. And you know how much I hate people being late, don't you. _Crucio_." Snape was glad he didn't hold the curse for that long or hard. "I shall give you one chance to explain," Voldemort said.

"I was making your potion, sir. Had I left when you summoned me, it would have exploded, and I would have had to start from scratch," Snape lied effortlessly.

"Ah, I see. And when will your newest creation be ready?" Voldemort inquired.

"About a week more, my Lord," Severus replied.

"You're on task then. Good. Have you managed to find out where Potter lives, yet?"

"No, not yet my Lord. I don't want to look suspicious, which it would look if I asked for my most hated student's address."

"I do not tolerate failure. _Crucio_" This time, the curse was held much longer, and was much more painful. But Severus refused to give the man the pleasure of hearing him scream.

By the time the curse was lifted off him, Severus realized he was lying on the floor. It took him awhile to stand up, and when he did, he found he was shaking.

"You disappoint me, Severus. I expect to know the next meeting where the boy lives; otherwise I will devise a much harsher punishment."

"Yes, my Lord. Forgive me, my Lord. I will not disappoint you," Snape said, trying to sound truly sorry.

"Dismissed," the Dark Lord said with a flick of his hand.

Severus bowed low before apparating to Potter's house once again.

In the cupboard under the stairs

Harry had seen the whole exchange between Snape and Voldemort. The multiple _cruciatus_es caused him even more pain, but he some how managed to keep from screaming. He was barely aware he was practically having a seizure he was shaking so much. He was very grateful Snape hadn't revealed his location. His trust and respect in the feared man went up a notch.

But when he realized Snape hadn't tried to get him out of this hellhole, his trust and respect for him went down two notches. Why HADN'T Snape tried to save him?

_Oh well. I'll ponder that when I have the energy to._

Outside the Dursley residence

Severus made his way to the door, and this time was able to '_Alohomora_' the front door. He pushed it silently open. The first thing he decided to do was get the trunk and birdcage. He remembered how the bottom stair squeaked, so he effortlessly stepped over it. He opened the junk room, shrunk the trunk and birdcage. He then noticed a Firebolt near his feet, so he shrunk that as well. He put all three in his pocket, left the room, and closed the door. He made his way silently down the stairs, skipped the bottom stair, undid the lock on the cupboard, and opened the door. He whispered _lumos_.

To say the sight that greeted him shocked him would have been the understatement of the year. Curled up in a fetal position was a boy that barely resembled the Potter Severus knew. This boy was shaking, like he was cold… "Or had just been under the cruciatus for a very long time, but both are impossible." Severus thought. His face was so gaunt it looked as though he hadn't eaten in a couple weeks. He had bags so bad under his eyes it looked as though he hadn't slept for at least a week. The clothes looked huge. _Probably the pig-boy's. Didn't they even bother buying him clothes?_

He glanced around the rest of the cupboard. All he saw was another set of humungous clothes, a broken pair of glasses, a photo album, and a wand. Severus grabbed the last two, shrunk them, and put them in a pocket a long with the other shrunk items. He grabbed the broken glasses, and whispered _occulous__ reparo_, and the glasses were fixed. He bent down to put them on Potter, who moaned and pulled his head back.

"This is insanity," Severus muttered. He reached his hand out to shake the boy, who scooted father back into the cupboard. "Oh Merlin! He must really have been abused!" Severus thought. Out loud, he whispered, "Potter, Potter wake up. _Potter_" Severus hissed. Potter managed to open one bleary eye before closing it again. "No, no, no Potter, don't fall back asleep. _Potter_," Severus hissed again.

Potter managed to barely open both eyes. "Pro—Pro--- Professor? Wh—What?"

"What's the matter, Potter, can't speak in complete sentences?" Severus said sarcastically. Old habits are hard to break.

"Why—Why—Why'd you come back?" Potter barley managed to say.

"You didn't honestly think I'd leave you here, did you?"

Potter managed a one armed shrug. Severus let out a breath. "Come on, Potter, you're coming with me," Severus said, and with that, he reached into the cupboard and started to pick up the boy. Potter hissed in pain, and Severus withdrew. "Would you rather me stupefy you?" Severus asked.

Not wanting to seem weak in front of his professor, Harry shook his head. "No, professor, I'll be fine."

So Severus reached in and managed to lift the shaking boy all the way out. Potter had bit his tongue to prevent him from making any noise, but he couldn't prevent a soft moan. Severus was flabbergasted by how little he weighed.

"Merlin, Potter did they feed you at all?"

Potter just shook his head. "Wait, my album," Harry whispered.

"Relax, Potter, I've already got it," Severus said in a somewhat gentle tone of voice.

Potter nodded, and passed out.

Severus went out the front door he never closed, and apparated to Hogwarts.

End Ch. 2

I have no idea if _the Surrey Evening Times_ is a real publication or not. If it is, I obviously have nothing to do with it.

Please don't forget to review!

Enb2004


	3. Visitors and Visions

Acceptance

By: enb2004

Disclaimer: I don't own it, and I'm not making any money off of it.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis', my 'Sam,' my beta, Amy for everything she has done for this fic and me!

A/N2: This story is AU.

A/N3:  I have been, and will continue to use UK spell check.

A/N4:  Thank you so much Potter reader for the review!  You've made my day!  I want to hear back from you about this chapter, so you better review again;)

Severus carried the unconscious boy down to his room, using magic to open the doors.  When he opened the door to the guest room, he muttered a spell that activated the torches.

The guest room was sparsely furnished.  There was a large four-poster bed that used to have a black best spread and hangings, but Severus changed them that morning to Gryffindor red.  On each side of the bed there were mahogany bed-stands.  There was an elegant fireplace, in front of which were two chairs, a mahogany table and rug.  All those furnishings, like the bedspread, had been black, but were now Gryffindor red.  On one side of the fireplace there was a mahogany chest of drawers, and on the other side, a mahogany armoire.  There were also bookshelves, with only a couple books on them, on the wall opposite the door.  Next to the bookshelves was an elegantly carved mahogany desk and chair.

He laid Potter on the bed and took a quick assessment of his injuries with a spell he knew; over the injured areas of the body, writing would appear telling exactly what was wrong, and how extensive the damage was.  It was an ancient spell that not even Poppy knew about.

Severus gasped at what he saw.  The boy had a major concussion at the back of his head ("So that was a skull hitting something hard that I heard," Severus thought.), a sore throat, a couple cracked ribs, a dislocated left shoulder, a broken left wrist, and a fractured leg.  He was SEVERLY mal- and under-nourished.  But the most shocking thing of all was that his nerves showed extensive damage due to prolonged exposure to the cruciatus curse.  The damage wasn't from one single time either.

While going to get a healing potion, a nerve-healing potion, and a dreamless sleep potion, he thought "That would explain the shaking, but how in the world is it possible for him to have been under it for long periods of time?  When he left the infirmary after the third task, all nerve damage had been healed.  I do have to give the boy some credit, though.  That was definitely Gryffindor bravery and stubbornness to not want to have been knocked out.  Or was it stupidity?"

By now he was back in the guest room.  He set the potions on the bedside table.  "Potter, Potter wake up, I need you to drink some things for me."

Potter managed to open his eyes.  "What do you want, Professor?" he whispered, only because talking was probably out of the question with his throat.

"Can you sit up?  You need to drink something." Severus asked, his voice devoid of sarcasm and malice.

"Not by myself, sir," Potter whispered.

"I'll help you then."

Once Potter was sitting up, Severus poured the potions down Harry's throat, and then gently laid him back down.  Harry was asleep before his head hit the pillow. 

Severus had pulled one of the chairs next to the bed, and hadn't been sitting there for very long when he heard a knock at his door.  Curious, he left Potter's room, crossed the living room, and opened the door.  Standing there was Albus Dumbledore.

Severus was surprised, but didn't show it.  Instead, he opened the door wider, allowing the headmaster to enter, which he did.  "Evening, Albus."

"Evening, Severus," Albus said as he sat down on one of the chairs.  "I trust everything went well?"

Severus said, "If by 'well,' you mean is he here, yes, he is.  If by 'well' you are referring to his condition, no, he isn't," his tone during the last sentence was tinged with anger, both at the Dursley's for inflicting the damage, as well as some at Albus for not seeing it sooner and allowing the boy to return there.  Heck, it took a student to point out to the headmaster that something was wrong.  

However, either Albus didn't notice the anger, or he chose to ignore it, saying instead, "What do you mean?"

"What do I mean??!!" Severus asked, his hold on his anger once again slipping.  "I mean that he is suffering from a major concussion at the back of his head, a sore throat, a couple cracked ribs, a dislocated left shoulder, a broken left wrist, and a fractured leg.  He is SEVERLY mal- and under-nourished.  And, as if that wasn't bad enough, he is suffering from the after effects of the cruciatus.  That the part I really do NOT understand."

"It is my belief that Voldemort" Snape again flinched at that, "and Harry share a link, not only through the curse he survived as a baby, but also through what happened during the third task.  I believe, and I could be mistaken, I am only human, that Harry can see, most, if not all Death Eater meetings, and suffers from the cruciatus the same as any of the victims," Albus said calmly.

"Merlin! Albus, it's a wonder the boy isn't dead already from that alone!"

"If he had been put under the spell directly, he might already have been."

"Something else is bothering me.  The Dark Lord is getting impatient as to where the Dursley's live.  I'm afraid that if I don't tell him next meeting, something very bad will happen to me," Severus said.  For once in Merlin knows how long, he was actually afraid, not for himself directly, but what would happen to the sleeping boy in the next room if something were to happen to him.

"Well, I suppose we could somehow send them on a 'vacation' if we knew when Voldemort were to attack them," Albus said.

"I'd rather the Dark Lord got them," Severus mumbled.

 "What was that, Severus?"

"Nothing Albus, nothing," Severus said.  There was a short pause.  "What are you DOING here Albus?"

"I was worried about Harry, and in my haste to see my family, there were some things I neglected to mention.  I have yet to respond to Miss Granger, but when I do, I will inform her that Harry may not tell her in writing where he is, and whom he is with.  Make sure he knows this.  However, if you two are up to it, I see no reason why Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger can't come here for Harry's birthday, provided that they aren't told in writing where they will be going."

"When is his birthday?"

"July 31."

"I'll have to think about it.  It depends very much on how well he is doing by then, and on whether or not I will be able to tolerate the three of them during my break.  No matter, I'll think about that when the time comes," Snape said.

"Also, at some point during the summer he will need to go to Diagon Alley.  You will have to go with him, and one or both of you will need to be under the polyjuice potion.  I daresay he would want to meet up with Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger then, as well," Albus said.  Severus groaned.

"I suppose you're going to ask me to take him to Hogsmeade, granted that one or both of us take the polyjuice potion?"

"I was going to but you are the one that suggested it first," Severus groaned again, but for some reason his heart wasn't in it anymore.

Albus seemed to notice something wasn't quite right, and inquired, "Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing's _wrong_ headmaster.  I just have a lot on my mind."

"Very well then.  I shall inform you when the next Order meeting is when I myself know.  I also believe I have an owl to send to a certain eager fifth year."

After Albus left, Severus again settled into the chair next to Harry's bed, and thought about the impending meeting, muggle sport: "Lucius is disgusting sometimes.  He is, after all, the one who orchestrates these 'sport meetings.'  Thank Merlin I no longer have to go to those anymore.  And to think, they used to fascinate me.  It's a good thing people change.  Hang on . . . Albus said Potter can see the meetings.  Does he see sport meetings too??  Oh, Merlin, the poor boy."  As soon as he thought that, the Dark Mark tingled, but didn't burn like it normally did to signal the beginning of a meeting.  All that means is that he isn't being summoned to that particular meeting.

When he felt the tingle, Harry drew in a sharp breath and groaned.  "Guess that answers my question," Severus thought.  "All I can do is sit there and wait.  If I go to stop them, they would get suspicious.  Dreamless sleep potion obviously doesn't work either." 

And so Severus waited.  Harry screamed several times, and Severus tried desperately to wake him, but never succeeded.  "At least I know where the sore throat comes from," Severus thought bitterly.

Finally, Harry's breathing seemed to even out.  Severus decided it would probably be best to let him sleep until morning.  He needed it, after all.

When he was sure Harry was asleep, Severus went and got some more potion to fight off the effects of the cruciatus, a healing potion, and a dreamless sleep potion, that he would use after Potter got some food in his stomach.

Harry's POV

How long Harry had been sleeping he didn't know, but all of a sudden, he felt his scar burst with pain.  He hissed in pain, but when pain shot through his broken ribs, he groaned.  The Death Eaters were being summoned.  He knew from previous meetings this would be one of purely sport, in other words, very painful for Harry.  He also knew from previous meetings that it was Malfoy Sr. who organized these meetings.  He personally scheduled them, and hand picked the victims.  Sick bastard.

When the vision part of the vision kicked in, he was in the wooded area that always seemed to be used for sport.

It was a family: a mom, dad, older brother, and an absolutely stunning younger sister.  The sister was probably about his age, and the brother was probably the twins' age.

Harry had tried many times closing his eyes to block out the vision, but closing his eyes didn't help.  He saw what the Death Eaters did to the women.  He sometimes saw it with his waking eyes.  It sickened him.

This meeting, however, was different.  Someone was there who wasn't a Death Eater.  He knew because he wasn't wearing a mask, but a veil over his face. 

"Ah, young Draco, how nice it is to welcome you to our circle," Voldemort said.

Harry had to resist the urge to puke.

Draco was silent for a while, until Malfoy Sr. not so discreetly elbowed him.  "It's an honor to be here, my Lord."  His voice was shaking.  Harry realized he was scared.

"You should be pleased Draco.  I picked out the girl especially for you.  I made sure she was your age, and very beautiful," Malfoy sr. said, almost lovingly.

"Yes, Father, of course I'm pleased," Draco said with no real feeling in his voice.  The response was automatic.

"Well then, boys, let the fun begin," Malfoy sr. said with obvious glee in his voice.  "Draco, why don't you take the younger one first?"

"Yes, father," again the response was automatic and with out feeling.  Harry was beginning to wonder if he was under the imperious curse.  That would have made him feel at least a little better.

But when Malfoy Sr. practically pushed him toward the stupefied girl, and said, "Well, get moving," Harry knew he was under no curse.  He once again had to fight the urge to puke.

The cruciatus was only used on the father and brother.  The Death Eaters had other ways to inflict pain on the women.  

When the 'vision' was over, Harry fought to remain asleep, and prayed that Uncle Vernon wouldn't come down to slap him around.  When no Uncle Vernon came, he surrendered to the blackness surrounding him.

End Ch 3

Please don't forget to review!  I wanna know what you think!  Especially you Potter Reader!

Elyse


	4. Welcome to the Land of the Living

Acceptance

By: enb2004

Disclaimer: Don't own it, not making any money off of it, etc, etc.  You know the drill.

It was the smell that woke him up.  Eggs, cheese, and…chicken broth?  _I can't be in my cupboard.  The smells from the kitchen don't get this far.  I can't be in the infirmary; it isn't bright enough.  What's that sound?  Silverware against a plate?  Someone's eating?  What happened yesterday?  Think, Potter, think!  Snape!  That's right; Snape came to Uncle Vernon's house.  But why didn't he come and get me?  Wait; hang on.  Did he, last night?  Was that what happened?  Is that where I am?  Hogwarts? _

With that, he opened his eyes.  _I'm obviously not wearing my glasses.  __It's way too blurry for that. _

"Morning Potter.  Welcome to the land of the living," a sarcastic voice that sounded suspiciously like Snape said.

"Pro—Pro—Professor?" Harry managed to get out.  He turned his head toward the sound of the voice, but all he could make out was the shape of a person who was very pale, had black hair, and wearing black.   Talking turned out to be quite difficult due to the sore throat that seemed worse now than it did yesterday.

"Back to stuttering and incomplete sentences, are you Potter?" Yep, the person was definitely Snape.

"What?"

"Never mind."  If Harry didn't know that the man was sitting next to him, he wouldn't have thought that was Snape, because the voice was completely lacking any of its usual sarcasm and loathing.  _Weird._

A hand that was holding something appeared near his head.  "Your glasses, Potter," Snape said.  His voice once again lacked sarcasm.  The hand continued toward Harry's face, and his glasses were put on his face.  His vision suddenly improved.  

Seeing Snape's face was a shock for Harry.  There was no trace of the usual scowl that graced his face.  It almost looked…concerned.  And he had bags under his eyes, almost as though he hadn't gotten any sleep the night before.

"How are you feeling, Potter," Snape asked.  _Geez, he even sounds concerned._

Harry almost said 'fine' as an automatic reaction, before realizing that he did, in fact, not feel, fine.  "Sore, and stiff, sir," he croaked.

"Are you in any pain, Potter?"

"Not really, no, sir."

"Can you sit up, Potter?"

Harry tried to sit up, but failed miserably. "No, sir, not by my self," he said, looking away from the feared Potion Master's eyes for the first time.

Snape got up from the chair, sat on the bed next to Harry, and held out his hand.  Harry took the hand, and Snape gently pulled him up into a sitting position.

Once Harry was sitting back on some pillows, Snape sat back on the chair, and asked, "Are you hungry?"

Harry just nodded.  With a _swish_ _and flick_ of his wand, and a whispered _wingardium levisoa_, Snape levitated up a tray that was sitting next to the bed, and onto Harry's lap.  On the tray was a bowl of chicken broth, and a glass of water.

"Just chicken broth, sir,"

Rather than answering, Snape asked, "When was the last time you ate, Potter?  A real meal?"

"Breakfast before the Hogwarts Express,"

_That's worse then I thought! _Snape thought.

"Your body has to be… 'reintroduced' to food," Snape said simply.  With that, he bent to the side of his chair and picked up a tray that was there.  On that tray was a plate of scrambled eggs with cheese, and some toast.

They ate in silence for a while, when all of a sudden, there was a _thump_, as though someone had jumped on to the floor.

The next instant, Lucius Malfoy's voice came floating into the room: "Severus!  Sev, where are you?"

Harry gasped in surprise, as the 'vision' from the night before came floating before his eyes, he fought down the urge to throw up yet again.  Snape's hand instantly flew up to Harry's mouth.  He shot Harry a look that clearly said, "Don't move a muscle."  Harry nodded, eyes wide, and Snape removed his hand. 

From outside in the living room, there came the sounds of a door opening, Malfoy saying "Sev," and the door being closed again.  After the same procedure happened again, Malfoy said, "Come on, you overgrown bat, where are you?  I know you're here: where on earth else would you be?"  There was a pause during which Harry was trying very hard not to laugh, and Snape had his head in one hand, and was also trying very hard not to laugh.  Malfoy's voice came again, "Alright, fine, I'll try the manor."  At that, Snape's head popped up, his eyes wide.  He gently set the tray down on the floor, stood up, and went to the door.  After a rather long pause, they finally heard, "Snape Manor, living room," and a woosh.

Snape tore out of the room, grabbed a handful of Floo powder, and said "Snape Manor, master bedroom," and with a woosh, he too disappeared.

Snape arrived seconds later at the master bedroom of his ancestral house.  He strode over to the oak desk, and began frantically rummaging through it, as though looking for something.  He finally heard Malfoy's voice, "Severus, Severus!"

"I'm in here, Lucius," Snape said loudly.

The blond strode into the dark bedroom seconds later.  "Ah, there you are Severus.  I was wondering where you were,"

"What do you mean, Lucius," Snape asked innocently, and absentmindedly, as he was still looking for some unknown object, and hadn't bothered to look up at the other man.

"I was just at your quarters in Hogwarts, but you weren't there, so I decided to try you here."

"Oh.  Ah, ha!"  Snape said, holding up a piece of parchment with writing on it.

Malfoy wrinkled his nose, and asked, "What is that?"

"Fifth year lesson plans from last year.  Don't know how they wound up here, though."

"Why were you looking for them?"

"I was working on my lesson plans for this year, and decided to base those off of last years."

"I see.  Well, you missed a good time last night.  I brought Draco, you know," Malfoy said in an off-handed tone.

Had the room been any brighter, Malfoy would have seen Snape's face pale. _He saw that?!  What else has the poor boy seen? _Snape thought.

"Really.  And, what did he think?"

"I think he enjoyed it.  I know I did my first time," he said nostalgically.

"I'm sure.  Well I must be going…"

"Really, Severus, you are turning in to quite the antisocial bat.  Come to the Leaky Cauldron; let me buy you a drink."

"If you must know, I have a potion brewing that needs looking after.  Good day Lucius," and with that he turned on his heal, and strode to the fireplace.  He grabbed a handful of Floo powder, and just before he threw it into the fireplace, he turned around to a gapping Malfoy and said, "Oh and by the way, bats are very social animals," and with that, he threw the powder into the fireplace and said, "Hogwarts, Severus' living room," stepped in and disappeared.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' my beta, Amy for everything she has done for this fic and me.  And thanks to Mr. Murphy for his help as well.

A/N2: I have been, and will continue to, use UK spell check.

A/N3: Thoughts are in italics.  

Hope you guys liked it.  Review, or email me to tell me what you think.  Also, I'd like to know which you like better, thoughts in italics or with *  * and /  /.  That would be a really big help!

Thanks to witchfire37 and Potter Reader for their reviews.

Don't forget to review!

Elyse


	5. The End of Welcome to the Land of the Li

Acceptance

By: enb2004

As soon as Severus landed in his living room, he strode into Potter's bedroom.  He noticed that Potter had finished his broth, that his head was leaning against the pillows, and that his eyes were shut.  He walked over to the sleeping boy, sat on his bed, and gently shook his right shoulder.  "Potter, Potter wake up," he whispered.

Potter's eyes slowly opened.  "What just happened, Professor?  Why did you leave?"

"If I hadn't left, Lucius would have gotten suspicious.  He knows me too well."

"Oh," was all Potter said.  Suddenly, he seemed to find his hands very interesting.

Severus picked up the three potion phials.  "You need to drink these, Potter," Severus said, his tone making it clear he didn't want his student to disobey him.

Without looking up, Potter asked, "Why were you at my house, sir?  And why did you rescue me?"

Realizing the boy wouldn't take his potions until he received some answers, he put the phials back on the table.  "Albus asked me to.  Miss Granger informed him that something wasn't right at your relatives.  I was, and still am, the only one able to rescue you and watch you the rest of the summer."

Potter, still seeming to find his hands extremely interesting, asked, "But if you knew where I was, why didn't you get me the first time you were there?"

"That was merely reconnaissance, Potter, to make sure Miss Granger wasn't pulling some elaborate stunt." He picked the phials back up.  "Now drink these, and we can talk more when you're feeling better," Severus said, he tone softer.

Potter did as he was told, and with in seconds after drinking the dreamless sleep potion, he was asleep.  Severus gently moved Potter into a more comfortable position lying down, went to his living room to grab the book he'd been reading earlier, went back into Potter's room, and settled into the bedside chair to resume his vigil.

After 'reading' for about an hour, Severus realized his eyes hadn't moved once.  He was just too lost in his thoughts.  _I guess his relatives were cruel enough to make Potter sleep in a cupboard.  But why?  And if that boy has seen every Death Eater meeting, and sport…he's going to have to get out what he's seen and how he feels about all of that somehow.  A person can't bottle all of that up for too long, and come out emotionally healthy.  I should know.  I kept all of my feelings bottled up.  Albus was the unfortunate recipient of the meltdown I had seventeen years ago, when I could no longer take being a loyal Death Eater, and all that that entailed.  And yet, after confessing everything to him, the old fart actually forgave me!  He even gave me the option of being a spy, which I gladly took.  It was a step toward redeeming myself of all the horrible things I'd done.  He told me I should keep a journal about everything that happened and how I felt, so I went the next day to a bookstore, and got a journal…That's IT!  I'll have Potter keep a journal, as he certainly wouldn't want to tell me about his feelings.  Do I want him to?…I suppose when he's feeling better I could tutor him in Potions, and have him make the potions he's taking, as well as some defense __ones.  And maybe also tutor him in DADA.  He'll definitely need those, now that the Dark Lord has been resurrected.  And who better to learn from than a former Death Eater._/

He heaved a sigh of frustration at not being able to read, so he put the book down and whipped out his wand.  He stood over Potter, and muttered the spell to check on his injuries.  The concussion had shrunk, and the ribs, wrist, and leg were all healing nicely.  Severus had popped the shoulder back the night before, so that was healed.  His throat was still sore becauseof the amount of screaming he did last night.  The nerve damage looked only slightly better.  _Looks like I'll have to give him some more nerve-healing potion._

Harry felt like he had just fallen asleep when he felt a tingle run up and down his body.  _What the heck was that?_  He opened his eyes, and was surprised to see Snape hovering over him.  It wasn't the fact that Snape was hovering that surprised Harry though; it was the looked on his face.  He seemed so concerned he was actually biting his lip and furrowing his brow, and looked very deep in thought.

"What's the matter, Professor?" Harry croaked.

Snape jumped several inches in the air, and Harry let out a light chuckle, but immediately regretted it when his throat and rib cage protested against the move.  Snape just glowered for a couple of seconds before resuming his seat, as well as the thoughtful look on his face.  He stared very intently at Harry, as though searching for something in his eyes.  Harry, unable to hold the gaze, turned away.  

Had he not been in pain from the chuckle, he would have jumped when Snape spoke, mainly because he wasn't expecting the aloof professor to say anything, "The damage your nerves received isn't healing as well as I'd hoped.  What are you doing up?"

Harry who had turned to look at the professor with wide eyes when he started speaking, turned away as he spoke, afraid Snape would get mad at him, even though there was no anger in the older man's voice, merely curiosity, "I felt a tingling."

"A tingling," Snape repeated in a monotone.

Harry glanced at the thoughtful professor, and repeated himself, "Yeah, a tingling,"

Snape searched Harry's eyes for a while longer before getting up, and coming back several seconds later with two phials in each hand.

He held out one of his hands.  Judging by the colour, the phials contained the same potion.  "Drink these," Snape commanded.  Harry obeyed.  Snape took the empty phials, set them down, held out the other hand, and commanded, "Drink these as well." Harry did, noting that one phial was only half full.  He was instantly asleep.

Once Potter was asleep again, Severus went to his own private potions workshop to work on the potion the Dark Lord had requested.  _A tingling?  Could he mean the spell?  But how is that possible?  I've used it many times on many people, and not one of them ever mentioned being able to feel a tingling.  Potter especially shouldn't have been able to feel it.  He was under the dreamless sleep potion.  It's a good thing I only gave him half.  He'll be up in time for dinner.  He needs to eat.  Merlin!  I'm starting to sound like Poppy.  Or a father.  Certainly NOT my father, but what a father is supposed to sound like.  Why do I care so much about him?  Why, why, why?  Clear your mind Severus.  No more thinking about Potter._/

Severus spent the next eight hours working on the potion.  And he didn't think about Potter once.

A/N: This is technically the end of chapter four.  There was a slight mix up.  Sorry about that.  Chapter five should be up in a couple of days.  It's already written.

A/N2: Thanks to my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta, Amy for everything she has done for this fic and I.  Also, thanks to Mr. Murphy for all of his help as well.

A/N3: Thanks to t.a.g.0 for the phial, vial, vile thing on the bio page.

A/N4: Also, I want to know what you guys think!  Do you like the whole *  *, /  / thing for thoughts, or do you like italics better.  Let me know in an email, enb2004@hotmail.com, or in a review.  Thanks!

Replies to reviewers:

MoonGirlGinny(): I guess Snape is starting to go soft.  I'll try not to make him go too soft.  Also, I like your idea about a flashback.  I know just where to put it in too.  Thanks!

starangel2106: Does that mean you like the first chapter the best?  Lol

lillinfields: Don't worry.  Severus will be helping Harry in more ways than one, and vice versa.  Oopps hope I didn't give too much away!

nickole(): Thanks!!


	6. Talking

Chapter Five: Talking

Some time later, not that he know how much later, Harry started to drift back into consciousness. At least he knew where he this time. But what he wasn't sure of is WHERE in Hogwarts he was. Certainly neither the dorms nor infirmary. He knew Snape rescued him, so he wondered if perhaps he was in his quarters. _And why is he being so…nice to me? More than nice, he actually seems concerned for me_. He'd said Dumbledore sent Snape to come and get him. Maybe Dumbledore told Snape to be nice to Harry, too. Sure, he was sarcastic to him when he first woke up, but he hasn't been since. He was even laughing when Malfoy called him an 'overgrown bat.' And Harry had thought that was just something the students called him. At least he's got a sense of humour about himself. _What am I thinking?_ Snape, acting concerned? Snape, having a sense of humor? The only reason Harry ever hated Snape was because he hated him first. _And besides, he probably only hates me because of who my dad was. Should I ask him? No, he'd probably bite my head off. But he hasn't gotten angry with me yet, even when I thought he would. Maybe it is safe to ask questions. _

Just then, the door opened and Snape walked in, followed by Dobby and Winky. "Dobby, set your tray next to that bed stand. Winky, set yours next to the chair there," Snape whispered.

Harry heard two very soft "Yes, sir,"s, and then the sound of trays being put down. Harry wondered if he should wake up and say 'Hi' to Dobby, but decided against it. He didn't think he could handle the hyper house elf just then.

Harry heard Dobby whisper, "Oh, master Severus sir, Dobby is thinking master Harry Potter isn't looking very well at all. Is there any thing Dobby can do to help master Harry?"

"No, Dobby. Unfortunately, the only thing I can do is give him potions, let him sleep, and wait," Snape said, in a sad voice, which confused Harry very much. After all, why would that make Snape sad?

"Yes, master Severus, sir. Dobby and Winky must be leaving sir," Dobby whispered, and with a _pop_ they disappeared.

Harry heard a sigh, and then the chair groan in protest as someone sat down. There was a pause that seemed to stretch into eternity before Harry heard a tray being moved. He opened his eyes. Snape was sitting in the same place he was before.

"Professor?" Harry asked.

Snape looked up. He watched Harry for a while before saying, "Evening, Potter."

"Evening, Professor?"

"Yes, Potter. Its six p.m." Snape watched Harry for a couple more seconds before stating, "Your voice sounds better, Potter. Are you hungry?"

"Starving, sir."

"Good. Can you sit up on your own?"

Harry tired, and actually made some progress, before laying back down. Without looking at Snape, he said, "No, sir, I can't."

Harry heard the tray get moved to the ground, and saw that Snape sat on his bed. Harry could feel Snape's eyes on his cheek (since he could only turn his head from side to side). He finally met the professor's eyes. When he did, Snape said softly, but firmly and with conviction, "It's not weakness to say 'no', Potter."

"Ooookkk. Uumm…Who are you, and what have you done with my Potion's professor?"

The corner of Snape's mouth curled into a grin. leaving Harry thoroughly confused.

Snape held out a hand like he did last time, which Harry took. Once Harry was sitting up, Snape _wingardium leviosa_ed the tray onto Harry's lap. Harry was very relieved at what he saw on the plate: mashed potatoes, some peas, a small amount of chicken, and a glass of water.

"What, no pumpkin juice?" Harry muttered sarcastically.

Snape must have noticed Harry was being sarcastic because the corners of his mouth turned into a grin, but other than that, he gave no indication he heard him.

They ate in silence for a moment.

Harry was the first to speak, "Um, Professor, I don't mean to sound dumb, but where exactly am I?" he asked timidly.

"That's not a dumb question, Potter. As a matter of fact, it's a perfectly logical question. You're in the guest room of my living quarters."

"Oh."

Snape broke the silence next: "Potter, can I ask you something?"

The fork that was half way to Harry's mouth stopped in midair. He glanced at Snape.

"Yeah?"

Snape paused for a couple of seconds while he considered Harry. Snape squirmed in his seat, trying to find a comfortable position.

"I was thinking, when you're feeling better that is, that maybe I could tutor you in potions and Defence?"

"Umm…yeah, sure."

"Really!" Snape said sounding relieved and hopeful.

"Well, yeah. I really don't mind brewing potions, and what with Voldemort…"

"Don't say his name around me, Potter," he said firmly.

"Sorry, er, you-know-who's return, I guess I really could use the extra defence," Harry explained.

Despite Harry's slip up, the corners of Snape's mouth curled into an even wider grin.

All of a sudden, Harry groaned.

Snape glanced up, instantly worried. "What's wrong, Potter?"

"Hedwig! How could I have forgotten about Hedwig?"

"Pardon?"

"My owl, Hedwig. I told her to come here before Uncle Vernon picked me up."

"I'll check the owlery when I'm finished eating," Snape said.

"You will?" Harry asked, shocked.

"Why not? She obviously means a lot to you," Snape said in a normal tone of voice, but softer, almost to himself he said, "It's not like I've got much else better to do."

Harry laughed, "What!"

Snape looked up, surprised that he'd said that out loud. "Nothing, Potter," Snape mumbled, and continued eating. Harry couldn't stop smiling the whole rest meal, which passed in silence.

When he was done, Snape set down his tray, and said, "I'm going to go get your owl. I'll be right back." He got up and left.

While Harry was waiting, he leaned his head back and rested his eyes.

A short while later, Harry heard the professor enter his quarters, and then his room. Hedwig was perched on one of Snape's hands. As soon as Hedwig saw Harry, she spread her wings, and flew onto Harry's shoulder.

"That's one smart bird you've got there, Potter." He stretched out his fist that obviously had something in it. "Here you go, Potter." Harry held out his hand, and Snape placed several small owl treats into Harry's outstretched palm.

"Wow, thanks, Professor!"

"No problem, Potter. Now that you have your owl, there are a couple things you should be aware of. Under **no** circumstances are you to reveal, in writing, where you are, and who you are with, to **anyone**, got that," Snape said in a stern, but by no means harsh, tone of voice.

"In writing, Professor?"

"**Under no circumstances**. Do you understand me?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, Professor, I understand."

"Good." Snape leaned over to the bed stand and picked up Harry's wand, and held it out to him, handle first. Harry accepted it. "Also, while you are on Hogwart's grounds, and Hogwarts grounds only, you may use your magic. Before you ask why, the ministry, or anyone for that matter, can't detect any magic that goes on beyond the wards."

Harry beamed at the news. "Thanks, Professor!" He set his wand down, and started stroking Hedwig. Snape watched Harry for a short time before leaving, and returning almost instantly back carrying three phials of potion.

He held them out to Harry, "Drink them, Potter. And don't worry, one of them is not the dreamless sleeping potion." Harry did as he was told. Snape left the room again, this time for longer. This time when he came back, he was carrying what looked like a tray with padding on the bottom. He set it on Harry's lap before turning and leaving. On the tray were several sheets of parchment, a couple of very nice quills, inkwells, a very old looking book, and a muggle notebook.

"Professor, what's all this for?"

Snape, who had not yet left the room, turned back to Harry and replied, "The paper is to write letters. I daresay your friends would want to hear from you. The book was my favorite book when I was your age."

Snape made it out of the room before Harry realized he didn't say anything about the notebook. When he voiced he concern, Snape paused. He stood there, just outside the door, back to Harry, for several seconds before finally turning around and sitting in the chair. He sat there for a couple minutes, lost in thought. He finally refocused his attention back on Harry.

"It's a journal, Potter."

"A what?"

"A journal. For you to write your thoughts and feelings in."

"Why would I need a journal to write down my thoughts and feelings in?"

There was another pause, this one not quite as long as the first one. "You've been through a lot in your life, Potter. Its impossible to keep your emotions locked up inside. They always find a way out. Believe me, Potter, I know."

Harry stared at Snape in shock. He wondered why he was telling him all of this. Why does he care whether or not he kept his thoughts and feelings 'locked up inside?' And how does he 'know?'

Then the reality of the situation hit him. Someone was giving him something. Not because it's his birthday, or Christmas, or some other holiday, or because they have to. Someone is giving him something because they want to, because it will help him. And that some one is the greasy git, 'overgrown bat' of a Potions professor, Snape.

He could feel his face heating up with a bright blush. "Thank you, Professor Snape. This means a lot to me," Harry mumbled.

"It's not…" but what ever he was going to say was interrupted by a loud _crack_. Dobby appeared between the two. His eyes got really wide.

"Oh, master Harry Potter, sir! How is master Harry Potter feeling?"

"Better, Dobby, thanks,"

"Is there anything Dobby can get for sirs?"

Before Harry could say anything, Snape spoke up, "Do you have any fresh fruit in the kitchen, Dobby?"

"Oh, yes master Snape. We always keeps fresh fruits in the kitchens."

"Bring us some, will you, please?"

"Yes, master Snape." He collected the trays and with a _crack_ he disappeared.

Harry looked questioningly at Snape. "Fruit, sir?"

"Yes, Potter, fruit. You need a well balanced meal," Snape replied.

A couple seconds later, two large bowls appeared on the bedside table, one piled high with beautifully ripe strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, plums, peaches, and cherries. The other bowl had apples, oranges, bananas, and mangoes. Two plates also appeared, as well as several napkins. They each grabbed a plate, and put several fruits on them.

While they were munching on dessert, Snape coughed, and cleared his throat, before saying, "So, um, Draco was, um," he cleared his throat again, "was, um, at the," cough, "meeting, um, last night?"

Harry looked at Snape with wide eyes. Snape avoided his. "How do you know?"

"Um, Lucius, um," cough, "told me, um at the, um manor."

"Oh,"

Cough, "How did he, um," cough, "act?"

"Sir?"

"How did he act? Was he confident, scared…what?" Snape met Harry's eyes for a brief second before turning them away again.

"Well…he obviously didn't want to be there. He wouldn't even answer V…you-know-who until Malfoy elbowed him in the ribs. Malfoy had to practically push him…um…on top of the …um…girl."

"Girl?" Snape finally looked Harry squarely in the eye.

"Yeah, muggle, about my age."

Snape let out a breath, and said, "Thank you for your honesty, Harry."

"Sure. It's no problem."

They finished the fruit on their plates in silence. "Do you want to save this for later," Snape asked, pointing at the fruit.

"Um, yeah, sure."

Snape muttered a chilling charm to keep the fruit cold.

"Do you want a sleeping potion, or would you rather fall asleep on your own?"

"No sleeping potion, thanks."

Snape held his hand for the plate, which Harry gave him. "Good night, Potter."

"Good night, professor." Snape left the room.

Harry noticed Hedwig was no longer on his shoulder, but in her cage.

"Good night, Hedwig."

She just hooted.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta, HarryEstel for everything she has done for this fic and me. I would also like to thank Mr. Murphy for all his help.

A/N 2: I know Snape is OOC, but that's to be expected.

A/N 3: DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! And thanks to everyone that did review, you guys make my day!

Thanks to lillinfields, and leggylover03.

Replies to reviewers:

starangel2106: Dang, that was one quick review. I'm impressed! Thanks!

Jen(): No, this isn't a slash. I don't like reading them, and I really couldn't write one. And as to more Draco…that remains to be seen. I don't want to give too much away!


	7. Feeling safe

Chapter Six: Feeling Safe

Severus was in the middle of a very deep sleep, when he felt the mark on his arm burn. Fighting sleep, he got dressed, grabbed his cloak and mask, went beyond the boarders, and apparated. Once he got there, he realized Potter would be seeing this whole thing.

Why did that bother him?

It was a routine meeting, just going over basic info, the Dark Lord checking up on everyone.

When he got to Severus, he asked, "How goes the potion?"

"Well, my Lord. Like I said the last time we met, it should be done by the end of the week," Severus replied, trying to sound subservient.

"Good, good," the Dark Lord said before moving on.

Over all, it was a good meeting. Only one cruciatus was used, and then it wasn't used for a very long time.

_That's good for Potter, but I should still probably give him two nerve-healing potions, and a regular healing potion, just to be safe. He would probably like some water to, _Severus reflected as he gathered the necessary phials, and went in to Potter's room.

Once there, he set them on the table, gently shook the sleeping boy, and said, "Potter, wake up, I need you to take your potions now." But there was no response. Severus shook harder, and said louder "Harry!"

He muttered the spell to check on his injuries to see if there was anything he missed. Everything was healing rapidly; his leg and wrist were completely healed, and the nerve damage hadn't gotten that much worse.

At a complete loss, he sat on the bed, and drew the sleeping boy up to his chest. He realized every muscle was almost frozen into place. Figuring the only thing he could do was calm Harry, he wrapped a protective arm around this chest, stroked his hair with his other hand, and whispered in his ear, "You're safe, Harry, but you've got to wake up. Please wake up."

OO

Even though only one cruciatus was used at the meeting, for some reason, Harry's muscles completely locked themselves into place. He couldn't move; he could barely breathe.

He lay there for what felt like an eternity, willing Snape to come find him.

After what felt like forever, he finally heard the door open and the sound of glass being placed on wood.

Harry could feel Snape shake him, and hear him telling Harry to get up, but he couldn't make his muscles move.

When he felt the area of the bed next to him sink, he realized Snape was sitting next to him. Snape pulled Harry up to his chest, wrapped one arm across his chest. He could feel Snape's hand through his hair. Harry could hear Snape whispering for him to get up. But what puzzled Harry was that he used his first name.

He felt safe. For the first time He could remember, he felt safe. Someone cared enough about him to hold him. _It this what it feels like to have a father? To be held like a son?_ He could feel his muscles unwinding themselves as he relaxed in the tender embrace.

He was finally able to let go of a breathe, and as he did, he made a sound in my throat.

"Harry?" came the concerned voice.

All Harry could do was make another noise.

He felt the hand on his head leave and the arm across his chest went up to his forehead and gently tilted his head back.

He could feel the cool glass of a phial against his lip. "Drink up, Harry." He drank greedily. As the cool potion worked its way through his veins, he could feel himself relaxing more and more. Snape had him drink two more potions. The next thing he felt down his throat was water. That must have been what his body really needed, because he could finally open his eyes. He was staring into the black eyes of Snape. He took the water away, and smiled. A real smile. One that showed teeth. That made Harry smile.

"Do you want some more?" he asked.

Harry nodded. He poured the rest of it down Harry's throat. "Time for bed," he said, and made a move to get up.

But Harry didn't want him to go. He grabbed a hold of the black fabric to pull Snape back down, and snuggled deeper into him. At that moment, he didn't care how Snape had treated him in the past. All he cared about was the safe feeling that being with him provided. The feeling of being held by a father. And he didn't want that feeling to go away.

Harry heard Snape laugh; he felt his chest rumble. "Alright, alright, I'll stay," Snape said.

Harry nodded into the black folds, and held Snape tighter to him. Snape started to gently rock from side to side. It feels good to be safe.

OO

As Severus held Potter, and stoked his hair, he could feel him relax. He suddenly heard him make a noise. Severus looked down and saw a tiny smile on Potter's face. The hand stroking his hair was closest to the table, so with that hand he grabbed one of the potions. With his other hand, he tilted Potter's head back. "Drink up, Harry," Severus said softly. Potter did.

Severus gave him the other two potions, and was half way done with the water when he opened his eyes and looked strait into Severus'.

Severus was shocked at the look in Potter's eyes; they looked so peaceful, so unlike the troubled eyes he'd gotten used to seeing. He smiled, really smiled. It felt strange, but good. "Do you want some more?" he asked.

He nodded, and closed his eyes again.

When Potter was finished with the water, Severus made a move to get up, and said, "Time for bed." He did, after all, not want to disturb his sleep.

But to his surprise, Harry grabbed his clothes and practically pulled him back down to the bed. He laughed and said, "Alright, Alright, I'll stay." He could feel Potter nod, and get more comfortable.

He gently rocked the sleeping teen from side to side.

_What's happening to me? All of these walls I have so carefully built to not let anyone in, were now beginning to crumble because of the son of my childhood enemy. _

But maybe this isn't such a bad thing. Maybe the walls were ready to come down. They've been up for long enough.

_Is this what it feels like to be a father holding your son?_

_Maybe that's what I could try and be for him. A father figure. Obviously Dursley was no father figure. I'm sure that mutt Black would take the job, but he's an escaped convict, probably hiding out with the werewolf. That won't work. He needs someone to always be there for him, a constant figure in his life. Can I do that? Can I be that person? I can sure as hell try._

End chapter 6

A/N: Hope you guys liked it! I just found out I'm going to go see my grandmother over break, so if I don't post chapter 7 with in the next couple of hours, I won't be posting it for a couple of weeks. Sorry about that.

A/N2: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta HarryEstel for helping me with this fic. And Mr. Murphy as well.

Thanks to all who reviewed- Awen, moni(), and jennifer()

Replies to reviewers:

starangel2106: How do you reply so quickly? I love it! I love your reviews! They always make me smile. Yeah, I don't like taking medicine either.

leggylover03: I'm glad you like how I'm portraying him. Was this fluffy enough for you? And believe me, the Harry angst will skyrocket in a couple of chapters, don't worry.

nickole(): That was so sweet! Thank you. You made my day, and the next, after reading that.

Potter Reader: I love hearing from you! Thanks!

LyonsRoar: I'm glad you like the way I'm slowly developing their relationship. I'm trying very hard not to rush it, and I hope I'm not after this. Just ask Amy. I'm always bugging her about that. Lol. Yes, Draco does need a friend, and as to a friendship, well, you'd just have to wait and see!

Remo Con: I believe a beta is someone who reviews a chapter and makes sure every thing looks good plot etc. wise. If some one wants to correct me, please do.


	8. Even Parents Get it Wrong

Chapter Seven: Even Parents Can Get It Wrong

When Severus woke up the next morning, he looked down at Harry. He was clutching Severus' clothes, but he had a serene smile on his face. A grin came to Severus' face. _Maybe I CAN do this fatherhood thing._

After disentangling himself from Harry's clutches, he took a shower.

When he was done, he went Harry's room. When he entered, he was surprised to see Harry sitting up in bed, writing in the journal he'd given him. He sat on the chair, but Harry was so deep in thought, he didn't notice.

After watching Harry for a while, he finally said, "Good morning, Harry."

Harry jumped at the sound of his voice. "You scared me, Professor."

"Sorry Harry." Severus paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to phrase what he wanted to say next. "You know, um, you don't have to keep calling me 'professor,' or 'sir' all summer."

"What do you want me to call you? Severus?" Harry asked sarcastically. Harry was surprised to see no hint of a grin on the other's face.

"If that's alright with you," Severus replied.

Harry looked down at his hands and said softy, "What about last night?"

"What _about _last night?" Severus asked right back.

"You probably think I'm weak, don't you?"

Severus got up and sat on the bed. "What makes you think that?"

Harry replied in an even softer voice, "Because I couldn't move, and then I wouldn't let go. I'm sorry about that." _But it felt so good to feel safe._

By the time he finished, Severus could barely hear him. He put one of his fingers under Harry's chin and gently lifted it so he could look Severus in the eye. "No Harry, that doesn't make you weak. You probably couldn't move because all of the cruciatuses caught up with you. And judging by your home life," Harry cringed, "my guess would be, you've never had someone to take care of you. Believe me, I know." Severus sighed. _This is the part where I tell him about my past, right? If I want him to trust me, I'll have to trust him._ "I didn't have a good home life either. The man who gave me my life, my so-called father, also beat me, though not nearly as bad as your uncle did you. I also had no one to turn to at home, because my mother died when I was young. When I went here, I was the social outcast. That is, until Lucius, who's two years older than me, took me under his wing. It was my so-called father who pushed me to the Dark Lord. Seventeen years ago, when I could no longer take being a Death Eater, something happened and Albus helped me. I confessed everything. He gave me a choice, to turn myself in to the ministry, or become a spy."

_Why is he telling me this? Could it be that he means it? Uncle Vernon told me to never be weak, and to never show weakness. But maybe it's okay to be weak sometimes. Maybe I don't always have to be strong. Or, could it be, the things I think show weakness, don't?_

"Enough heavy talk, how does a shower sound?" Severus asked.

After such a deep conversation, the abrupt change of subject caught Harry off guard. It took him a moment to put his thoughts back in order, but when he did, he said, "Um, yeah, sure. A shower sounds great."

"Great!" Severus said. He went to the chest of drawers and pulled out uniform pants and shirt and told Harry, "Until we go to Hogsmeade, you might as well wear some clothes that fit. Come on."

Harry got out of bed (with Severus' help) and Severus showed him where the bathroom was.

The shower felt so incredible to Harry; like washing away the past. The warm water worked out some of the knots in his muscles. After brushing his teeth, hair, getting dresses, etc, he went to the living room. Severus was sitting on the couch waiting for Harry.

"Do you want to get started on potions?" Severus asked.

"Yeah, sure."

Severus pulled a book down from one of the bookshelves, and motioned for Harry to follow him to his workroom.

When Harry entered, he was stunned. Covering one whole wall were potions of all colours. On another wall were ingredients, and a large cupboard. In the center of the room, there were several workstations with caldrons already set up. A couple already had potions simmering.

Severus went to a station next to one of the caldrons that already had a potion in it. He opened the book to a specific page, and propped the book up. Harry noticed that it was a basic healing potion.

Harry had just started chopping when he heard two consecutive _thumps_ that meant that two people had just arrived by floo powder.

The question of who was quickly answered when Lucius Malfoy yelled "Severus," followed by Draco Malfoy yelling, "Uncle Sev!"

Harry mouthed "Uncle Sev?" but Severus shooed that away with a flick of his hand and whispered, "Clean this up now and hide with the book in the cupboard, no questions," before yelling "Coming!"

Harry did as he was told, and within a minute, his station was spotless, and he was crouched in the cupboard with the book.

In the Livingroom

Draco sagged with relief when he saw his 'Uncle Sev.' The last couple of days at Malfoy Manor had been torture, literally, complements of his father. Before the 'sport meeting' it had been because Malfoy sr. wanted to make sure Draco would present a good front to the Dark Lord. After the meeting, it had been because he hadn't. Draco almost jumped with joy when he heard he was going to spend the next five days at Hogwarts with Uncle Sev. Draco knew he might present a mean exterior, but he had always gone to him with his problems, and he had never once told his father what they'd talked about. He felt, no knew, he could trust Uncle Sev. Draco had always felt that Uncle Sev was unconsciously telling Draco that he didn't have to be a Death Eater like his father. Uncle Sev had never once punished Draco, whether physically, or with detention. He had long ago lost respect for his father, and considered Uncle Sev to be more of a father figure to him.

"Ah, Severus," Lucius said.

"Lucius, Draco, to what do I owe this honor?" Uncle Sev asked.

"I was wondering if you could give Draco a little summer refresher course on Potions for a while," Lucius asked.

Uncle Sev studied Draco, who studied him right back.

Severus noted the pleading look in the younger man's eyes. "How long is 'a while,' Lucuis?"

"Five days, maybe. He could stay in your guest room."

"Sure. I don't see why not," Uncle Sev responded. Draco let out a small breathe.

"Wonderful. Good-bye Severus. See you in five days, Draco."

"Good-bye Lucius."

"Good-bye father."

With that, Lucius took some Floo powder, threw it in the fire and said, "Malfoy Manor, Master bedroom," and disappeared.

Draco ws surprised when Uncle Sev let out a breath after his father left.

He strode over to a bookshelf, and pulled down a book. "Come on Draco, let's get started. You can leave your bag here."

Draco followed Uncle Sev into his workshop. He strode over to an empty station next to one that had already been set up, and flicked open the book. Draco followed, and glanced at the title, 'Nerve-healing potion-strong (for the after effects of the cruciatus only).'

Uncle Sev said, "Don't set up for that potion, you'll be making another one."

He then walked to the cupboard, and crouched down, his back to Draco, who could have sworn he heard whispering. When the older man stood up and held out his hand, Draco thought he had officially gone off his rocker.

However, when he moved aside, Draco saw a very shaken looking Harry Potter standing there, holding a book. Draco noted he was wearing his uniform pants and top. When Uncle Sev walked behind him and put his hands on Potter's shoulders, Potter literally jumped. Uncle Sev pretended to ignore it, and instead steered Potter over to where Draco was standing.

"Harry, meet Draco. Draco, meet Harry," Uncle Sev said. The implied meaning was clear: put aside your differences, try to become friends, and use first names.

Taking the hint, Draco held out his hand and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry."

Without missing a beat, Potter shook Draco's hand and said, "Same here, Draco." Draco noticed that his hands were trembling.

"Great!" Uncle Sev said with enthusiasm. He plucked the book out of Pott-Harry's hands, found the page he was looking for, and set the book down at the station on the other side of the potion in the works. "Draco, this one will be yours." He put his hands back on Po-Harry's shoulders' and guided him to the other book. He didn't seem surprised at the potion he saw on the page. "And Harry will be making this one. Well, get to work!" he said when neither boy moved.

They studied the ingredients before moving off to get them. The three worked in silence for a good half hour.

The silence was broken when Uncle Sev said, "I'm out of Dragon's blood? How the hell am I out of Dragon's blood?" He paused, and turned to the two waiting boys. "How would you boys like to go to Hogsmead when you're done?"

"That would be great Uncle Sev," Draco said.

"Sure," was all Harry said before turning back to his potion.

Draco thought he would go back to the potion he had been working on, but instead grabbed new ingredients and set up at the station next to Harry.

"Why aren't you working on the other potion, Severus?"

"Can't do much with it till I have the Dragon's blood, Draco,"

Before Draco could reply, Harry asked in a voice so soft, Draco could barely hear him, "Were you working on the potion that Vol-sorry, you-know-who wants?"

"Yes Harry, I was."

"The Dark—you-know-who wants a potion, Uncle Sev?" Draco asked.

Uncle Sev looked at him with a horrified look on his face.

"What did you almost just call him?" Uncle Sev asked in a dangerously low voice.

When Draco didn't answer, Uncle Sev almost yelled, "Answer me!" Draco was vaguely aware that Harry jumped.

Draco put his head down and muttered, "The Dark Lord."

"What?" Uncle Sev asked, even though Draco knew he could hear him.

"The Dark Lord," Draco said a little louder.

The next thing Draco knew, Uncle Sev was standing in front of him, holding his chin up so he could look into the surprisingly concerned eyes. Uncle Sev said, "Don't ever let me catch you calling, or almost calling him, that again."

Draco nodded as best he could. "Good," Uncle Sev said, and returned to his station.

"What's wrong with calling you-know-who you-know-what?" Harry asked.

"Only Death Eaters call him that, Harry," Uncle Sev said in a low, sad, bitter, regret-filled voice.

"So, what's the potion for?" Harry asked.

"Don't you know?" Severus asked.

"No, I missed that meeting," Harry replied. Severus just laughed.

"Missed that meeting? How do you go to meetings? I seriously doubt you-know-who would let you attend," Draco said.

"Some other time, Draco," Severus replied, a small smile still on his face. He sobered his expression and said, "It's basically a liquid form of the cruciatus, only much more painful, and lasts for a very long time. The things I can control are the after- and lasting-effects. It doesn't cause nerve damage, and therefore the person will not suffer tremors, and other unpleasant after effects."

Both boys were horrified. "Why can't you just say no?" Draco asked.

"You don't say 'no' to the Dark Lord, Draco. The only thing he cares about is that it causes pain. He doesn't care about the after effects, or lack thereof. That is the one semi-descent thing I can do," he said sadly.

"You're a spy, aren't you? For Dumbledore?"

Uncle Sev's face got even paler, and he turned to Draco with a look of terror and horror on his face. He collapsed on the ground as though strings had been cut. "I'm dead," was all he could say. Both boys were instantly by his side.

"Don't worry Uncle Sev, I won't tell Lucius. I've kinda suspected it for a while now. I've been praying that it was true," Draco said.

"There's so much wrong with what you just said, I don't even know where to begin," Uncle Sev said, his head in his hands. He brought his head up and studied Draco's eyes. "Did you just call your father Lucius?"

"Yeah," Draco said, his eyes dropping.

"What made you suspect?"

Draco brought his head back up. "You've been dropping hints to me for a long time now, for as long as I can remember. You're always talking about choices, and following your heart, and how sometimes, even parents get it wrong. I remember Lucius mentioning once that during the last year of the last war there had been a leak, that someone had been slipping information to the Light. I put it all together, and I knew it had to be you." Draco could once again no longer hold his uncle's eyes and suddenly found his shoes to be very interesting. "I was praying that it was you because I've always been able to trust you. When I thought it was you, I started talking to you more, telling you more about how I feel about things, and how things really are at home. When nothing I ever said got back to Lucius, I knew without a doubt it had to be you. Thank you for proving me right, Uncle."

Draco was suddenly pulled into a bone-crushing hug, which he gratefully returned. "Thank you, Draco, thank you," Uncle Sev whispered.

When a hissing sound could be heard from above, Severus and Draco broke apart, dried their eyes, and got back to work on their potions.

After about five minutes of working in silence, Uncle Sev suddenly said, "It was two."

"What was two?" Draco asked.

"How long I was a spy for in the last war. Lucius got it wrong. Slow on the uptake, Death Eaters are, eh?"

After a half an hour more, all three finished at the same time. After checking to make sure the potions were correct, (which they were) Uncle Sev said, "Both of you, grab four phials and fill them with potion."

The two teens did as they were told. Uncle Sev said, "Drink one phial of the potions you made."

Uncle Sev took one of Draco's potions and gave it to Harry to drink, which he did. He then gave Harry one of the potions he made, and Harry did.

"What potion did you make Uncle?" Draco asked.

"A healing potion for broken bones," Uncle Sev responded.

"But why…?"

"Please, Draco, don't ask," Harry responded to the unanswered question.

"Let's get ready to go then, shall we?" Uncle Sev suggested, breaking the uneasy silence.

A/N: Sorry this is so late. Technical difficulties.

A/N2: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' my beta Harry Estel. She has an extremely good HP story up you guys should check out, Ascending Darkness. She also has many great LOTR fics up that you guys should check out.

Thanks to all of my reviewers: Catti, starangel2106(), Anne(), Mikee, eurylis, nickole()

Replies to reviewers:

GoddessMoonLady: Three reviews? Geez. For a while, I had a scene kinda planned where the rest of the school finds out, but I'm not sure about it anymore. They might just hear about it through the grape vine b/c of a different scene….wow, this makes no sense, does it? As for the other professors, most will probably find out with the rest of the school. Probably and most being the key words.

Potter Reader: A cavity? Really?

leggylover03: I got your last email. Don't worry, I wrote a lot on the trip, more angst than real fluff.

Awen: I hope this answered your question.

Lady Lily3: Sorry this took so long.

IloveSam: You're the first person to comment on my writing style. Thanks blushes Snape does tell more of his childhood, but a flashback…hmmm…good idea. Thanks again.

jennifer(): Two reviews. Thanks!


	9. Out, Out Brief Candle

Acceptance

Chapter 8: Out, Out Brief Candle

Within a few short minutes, they were ready to leave for Hogsmeade.  Severus used an appearance altering charm to make Harry and Draco look like him.  If anyone asked, they would be his nephews, Sebastian and Seth.

Once they got to Hogsmeade, the three of them split up.  Severus went to the apothecary to get his Dragon's blood and other potions ingredients; Harry went to a clothing store that sold both magical and muggle clothing; Draco just wandered around.

At one o'clock, they met at the Three Broomsticks.  Because of the deep conversation they'd just had, none of them talked about anything important, keeping to easy topics such as quidditch and school.

When they were done with lunch, they all went to Honeydukes.  While Draco and Harry bought tons of everything sweet, Severus bought tons of every kind of chocolate.  After paying, Severus made Harry eat a small bar before leaving the store, explaining, "Chocolate isn't only for the after effects of dementors, you know."

Draco wondered: _Could he be referring to the cruciatus?  _

When they got back to Hogwarts, Severus split Harry's huge bed into two beds, making one of the bedspreads and hangings Slytherin green.

They all did their own thing.  Severus stayed inside to work on potions while Harry and Draco decided to take advantage of a beautiful summer day and go outside.  Harry loaned Draco the book Severus had given him to read, and Harry brought out the tray with padding underneath to write letters to Ron and Hermione.

True to his word, he didn't tell them where he was or who he was with.  He apologized for not being able to write, but Uncle Vernon had kept him 'busy.'  He was in no mood, nor was he ready, to relate what had happened the first two weeks of summer.  To Hermione's, he added how eternally grateful he was that she'd voiced her concerns to Dumbledore, saying he'd probably be dead if she hadn't.  When he was done, he sent them off with Hedwig.

Dinner that night passed in comfortable silence, after which they all got into their beds and crashed.

During breakfast that morning, Draco stunned both of them by asking if he could stay longer.

"But…Why?" Harry asked.

"Are you kidding me?  I can't face Lucius, not knowing Uncle Sev is a spy.  So, Uncle, can I stay?  Please?"

Severus thought: _A Malfoy, asking please??_  Out loud he said, "Two weeks, Draco."

Harry did some quick mental math.  "Stay till August first, the day after my birthday."

"Really?  You wouldn't mind me at your party?"

Pause.  "Party?" Harry asked blankly.

"Yeah, you know, party…." Harry just blinked.  "You invite your friends, we have food, cake, fun. And you get presents… Geez, haven't you ever had a birthday party?"

Harry studied his food for a long time before saying very softly, "No."  He glanced quickly up at Severus before looking back down and asking, "Can I have a birthday party?"

"Of course Harry.  I think that would be a great idea.

Harry smiled widely.  "Great!  So, whom can I invite?  Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George?"

"You can invite whoever you want, Harry.  It's your birthday party.  We should probably start planning it though," Severus said.

There was a pause while the three of them thought.  "I've got a idea!" Harry said.  "Hermione goes over to Ron's before hand, and we tell them the person who I'm staying with will apparate to the Burrow, and then everyone Floos over.  OOHH, can Ron and Hermione spend the night?"

"I don't see why not.  I'd have to clear that with Albus."  At the look on Harry's face, Severus quickly said, "But don't worry, I'm sure he'll say yes." 

"Yes!!  When Hedwig comes back, I'll tell them."

During that morning until past lunch, Severus had Harry and Draco read books on shields for dueling.

Before dinner, Severus called them into his workshop.

"It's finished-a head of time," Severus said.

"What is?" Harry asked.

Severus was holding a phial of potion. "The liquid cruciatus," he said triumphantly.  He looked around the room before spotting a spider and stupefied it.  He then transfigured it into a fluffy brown cat.  He picked it up and petted it until it was purring loudly.  "Don't worry, Brownie, it'll be over in a minute," he said to the cat, and before either boy could say anything, poured the potion down its throat.  The cat started yowling, twisting, and turning.

After watching in horror for a couple of minutes, Harry said very loudly, "Why are you doing this to a cat!?  Don't you have an antidote?!  Make it stop!!!"

"Calm yourself, Harry," Severus said.  "Its procedure to test a new potion on an animal first.  What happens if I did something wrong, and instead of just causing pain, or on top of it, it kills?  And what happens if we don't try it out on an animal first?  Someone needlessly dies."

"But what if the cat dies," Draco said in a whiney voice.

"It won't.  Its just procedure." Severus replied.

They stood watching for a couple more minutes before the cat stopped squirming in pain.  Severus performed the spell that checks on injuries, and was very pleased to note the cat was in perfect form.  When he said as much to the boys, both let out a sigh of relief.  He picked up the cat, and started petting it again, and it was soon purring.  He filled another phial and disappeared into his room without another word.  The boys glanced at each other shrugged, and went into the living room to continue reading.

Severus emerged a half an hour later looking extremely pale.  He sat on the couch and said tiredly, "Well, I guess I can officially approve it for human consumption.  It's much more painful than a regular cruciatus, but at least I was right about the after affects."

"Are you sure you're feeling alright, Uncle?"

"Yeah, Draco, fine."

Harry and Draco were beginning to get sick of reading about shields, so they decided to get started on their History of Magic homework.

It was later into the night, after dinner when they were lounging in the living room.  Harry and Draco were playing wizard chess, and Severus was reading.  Suddenly, both Harry and Severus hissed in pain, Severus was grabbing his arm, Harry, his scar.

"What's going on?" Draco asked confused as to why Harry would be grabbing his scar while his Uncle Sev was being summoned.

Rather than answering, Severus said, "Harry, get changed, and get into bed," before going to his bedroom and getting the cloak and mask, as well as the box that contained the potions.

Harry did as he was told.  Draco sat in the living room, trying to figure out what was happening.

When Severus apparated to the throne room, almost everyone was already there.  After kissing the Dark Lords robe, he said to him, "The potion you requested has been made, my Lord." He handed the Dark Lord the box and stood in his place in the circle.

"Very good, Severus.  And it has been tested on both an animal, and you, correct?"

"Yes, my Lord."  Just then, someone else (who, upon closer inspection turned out to be Lucius) apparated in, kissed the Dark Lord's robes, and stood in his place.

The Dark Lord continued as though he didn't notice Lucius' arriving.  "I'm very impressed, Severus.  Congratulations.  I've been looking for a right hand man.  It appears you are he."

"Thank you, my Lord.  That is quite an honor," Severus responded.

The Dark Lord turned to Lucius.  "Since you were the last to arrive, you will be the first to test the potion in my presence, Lucius."  He opened the box and held it to Lucius.

"Yes, my Lord," he responded.  He picked a phial and downed it.  Within seconds, he was on the floor, screaming at the top of his lungs and withering in agony.  The Dark Lord studied him with a critical eye.  After about twenty minutes, Lucius stopped yelling and withering, and calmly got up.  

The Dark Lord turned to Severus.  "Very good.  I'm proud of you.  You will make a good right hand man."

"Thank you, my Lord."

The Dark Lord made his round of the circle asking questions before coming to a halt in front of Severus.  "I am becoming impatient.  I need to know where Potter lives.  Either tell me now or, regardless of your new status, you will die."

Severus swallowed and let out a breath and silently prayed he wouldn't go there tonight.  "Number four, Pivet Dr., Surrey." He responded.

"You are all dismissed, except Lucius, Crabbe, and Goyle.  You will be coming with me.  We are going to be taking a …_trip_…to Surrey."

Severus came very close to saying something, but instead apparated to Albus' daughters' home.  He ran to his room, and shook the old man.  "Albus, Albus, you need to wake up.  The Dark Lord is attacking the Dursley's NOW!!"

Albus sat up.  "Could you…say that again?"

"The Dark Lord is attacking the Dursley's!  Get the Order together!  I have to go back to Hogwarts.  Harry needs me," and he apparted to the boarders of Hogwarts and very nearly flew to his quarters.

At Pivet Dr.

The four of them apparated to outside of the boundaries of the wards of the house, and went to the door.  The Dark Lord _Alohamora_ed the door with no problem.  "Search the house, now!"  The Dark Lord ordered.

While the other three searched the upstairs, he wandered around the downstairs.  It was small to the Dark Lords liking, but attractive nonetheless.  He perused the photographs in the living room.  _Disgusting muggles.  Can't even make pictures move!_  He thought.  But then he noticed something: there was not one single picture of Potter.

When Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle came down the stairs and into the living room, they were levitating three muggles.  The first was a heavily obese man with a large mustache.  His wife was a horse faced looking woman.  Their son, the boy in all the pictures, was morbidly obese.  He looked to be the size of a baby killer whale, and looked like a large pig.

_Envenerate_ the Dark Lord said to the father.  When he saw the Dark Lord the let out a blood-curdling scream.  "Put a silencing charm on the house, Lucius," said the Dark Lord, before saying _Crucio_ to the father.  When he let up, the man was panting.  "Where is Potter?" the Dark Lord asked.

"I…I…I don't…know…" said the father.

"What do you mean you don't know?" said the Dark Lord in a dangerous voice.  "_Crucio!_  I'll give you one more chance.  Where's Potter?"

"He… he disappeared…a couple of nights ago," the father simpered.

"Very well.  _Avada Kedavra_."  And with a flash of green light, the man died.  He went to the mother and revived her.  "Where's Potter?" he asked.

"I…don't know,"

"Muggles," the Dark Lord said in an exasperated voice.  "_Crucio_!  I'll give you one more chance,"

"I…don't know where he went…he's no longer here…we haven't…heard from him for a couple of days, now."

"WHERE DID HE GO!!!?"

"I…I…told you…I don't know," the woman whispered.

"You try my patience.  _Avada Kedavara_!"  The woman died.

The same procedure was repeated with the pig-boy.  "Search the WHOLE HOUSE!!" the Dark Lord yelled.

After tapping his foot for a couple of minutes, he heard one of the men making gagging sounds.  "I found something, my Lord!"  It was Lucius.

The Dark Lord went to where Lucius was.  He was leaning against a wall in front of an open cupboard, vomiting.  The Dark Lord, who's patience was gone, _Crucio_ed Lucius, and went to the cupboard.  The smell was almost enough to make HIM gag.  It was the smell of blood, vomit, pain, starvation, hopelessness, sorrow, guilt, and near death.  

He backed away and said to the three men in a calm voice, "It appears the muggles did a better job at torturing Potter than we could have hoped.  You are dismissed."  The four of them walked beyond the wards, and apparated.

What the Dark Lord, and therefore Harry, did not know is the instant they apparated away, almost the entire Order of the Phoenix that was in the area arrived.

End Chapter 8.

A/N: I got the chapter title from a monologue in 'the Scottish play,' Macbeth.  I wanted to use it for a death scene, so I decided to use it for this.  I'm not sure I'm entirely happy with the way Voldie kills the Dursley's.  It was a spur of the moment decision, and mainly a plot point, so my heart wasn't really in it.  I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta Harry Estel for everything she has done for this fic and me.  I would like to remind you that she has a story up called Harry Potter and the Legend of the Phoenix, and the second chapter should be up today or tomorrow.

A/N2:  I'm going out of town AGAIN to visit more grandparents, this time to North Dakota.  NORTH DAKOTA!!!!!  There's NOTHING to do there.  For those of you who live there, please, don't take offense.  I'm leaving tomorrow WAY too early in the morning, and I won't be back till Wednesday.  If there's a computer there, I'll update, but if there isn't I won't be updating until after then.  I'm very sorry about this.  Please don't be mad.  And please review!!!

Thanks to all of you who reviewed in the under 24 hour period since I last updated: ,00,(), jennifer(), 

Replies to reviewers (Thanks apply to you guys too): 

leggylover03: As you can see, after this there will be plenty of angst.  I hope you can wait till I get back!

starangel2106:  Yep, they had fun shopping, even though I don't really show it.  If I'm late next time, I'm sorry in advance.

Hecate Aiwe: WOW!  WOW WOW WOW!!  You reviewed every chapter as you read!!  THANK YOU!  That means SO much to me as a writer.  I'd like to address some things here, if you don't mind.  I caught that 'Surry' 'Surrey' thing right after I posted, and I'm too lazy to repost.  Sorry if that really bothers you.  Quite honestly, I never noticed, nor did I even think about Mum vs Mom.  It isn't something spell check checks.  I'll have to watch out for that.  I'm glad someone noticed my bat comment.  I couldn't resist.  I looked it up, and bats really are social creatures.  That's a very good point about a soft Snape.  My Snape won't be doing that though.  You're right about the nervous Snape bit.  I don't know why I did it that way.  I don't think Harry could have handled someone snapping at him, though.  I actually used a 'Harry's POV' originally, but Mr. Murphy suggested against it.  If you like it, I might use it in future chapters, but not this one.  I'm glad that Harry and Draco getting along doesn't come as cheesy.  I was kinda worried about that.  I hope you feel better.  And thanks for not screaming.  I hope you liked this chapter.  

GoddessMoonLady:  He used a charm.  I was originally considering using polyjuice potion, but I hope this works out ok.  Quite honestly, I don't know why I brought Draco into it.  I don't even like him, or Snape for that matter, as they are written in the book.  I like my versions better.

Jen(): You're welcome.

scythe21:  I nearly missed being able to put this in my story.  As for a confrontation, you'll just have to wait to see if there is one.  I don't want to give too much away.  I've never been asked to review a story before.  I'm honored.  *Authoress blushes furiously *  I don't know if I'll have time in the near future (see above) but when I do I'll review and email you.  I really like the way you reviewed too.  Very professional.  Thank you.  I look forward to reading your story.  *Authoress is still blushing *


	10. Losing Control

Acceptance

Chapter nine: Losing Control

Harry had been horrified by what he'd seen; Voldemort had killed his only living family because of HIM.  Voldemort had been looking for HIM!  Three more deaths because of HIM!

Even though he knew it wouldn't work, he'd still thrown himself in front of a cruciatus aimed at his aunt.  Just like before, it did nothing to help her; it only caused him more pain.  All he could do was watch.  Watch Voldemort cold-bloodedly murder his only remaining family.

When the vision was over, he realized he was being held by Sn-Severus.  The safe feeling was back.

And that was when he completely lost control of his emotions and broke down sobbing.  The arm around his chest tightened and pulled him closer.  He gripped the fabric and held on to it for dear life.

"He killed…He … He killed them, the three of them.  Because of me."  He pushed himself up and looked into Sn-Severus' black eyes.  "They died because of ME!!"  And he dissolved into tears.  Severus pulled him close.  "Everyone dies because of ME!  My parents, Cedric, the rest of my 'family.'  All…all of those muggles…because of me!"

Severus pulled Harry up and made him look him in the eyes.  "You DID NOT cause those deaths," he said with a quiet authority.  Harry only cried harder and tried to bury himself into Severus' robes again, but Severus made him look him in the eye.  "No, Harry, it's not.  It's the Dark Lord's.  HE is the one who killed your parents, Cedric, and your 'family.' Not you, HIM.  If you hadn't stopped him that night, the war would have continued.  Many, many more would have died."

"But…But I …I let Wormtail live…it was me…He's the one that brought him back.  He used my blood.  It was MY idea that Cedric and I tie."

"The Dark Lord would have found a way.  If it hadn't been Wormtail, he would have found someone else.  He didn't have to use your blood; he could have used someone else's.  He's a smart man.  It has NOTHING to do with you."

Harry couldn't stop himself from crying.  This time, he succeeded in burying himself in Severus' robes and balling.  Severus just held him and let him cry.  Harry felt a hand on his back.  It helped to comfort and calm him, but didn't stop the tears from falling.

When Uncle Sev left, Harry went to go change in the bedroom Draco and Harry shared.  Draco sat on the couch, tense, listening.  After what felt like and eternity, he heard a horrible scream coming from the bedroom.  He ran in.  Harry was screaming his lungs out on the bed.  He sat on it and shook Harry to try and wake him up, but it didn't work.

Very soon, Uncle Sev came storming in.  He sat on the bed and said to Draco: "Go get all of the nerve-healing potions, a dreamless sleep potion, and some water."

With out pausing to think, he did as he was told.

When he came back, the sight that greeted stunned him.  Harry was screaming and thrashing and trying to escape Uncle Sev, but he just held Harry tightly to him.

The first thing Draco felt was jealousy.  He'd never been held: not by his mom, and certainly never by Lucius or Uncle Sev.  But here was Harry, a boy neither knew very well, and Uncle Sev was holding him.

But then he came to his senses and the rational part of his mind kicked in.  Maybe there was something else going on here that he didn't know about.  Harry was obviously having some sort of…dream…and was obviously in pain.  He set down the phials and sat behind Harry.

The yelling stopped, but Harry still sat rigidly; he was apparently still having a dream.  After a long while he relaxed and broke down sobbing.  As he listened to Harry and Uncle Sev talk, he sat stunned.  The things Harry blamed himself for!  And Uncle Sev was right- none of it was his fault.

He looked at Harry in a new light. Maybe, he wasn't the spoiled brat he thought he was.  He's apparently been through a lot and was carrying around a lot of guilt.  What he needed right now was support, like what Draco had wished for so many times.  Now, he could do for someone else what had never been done for him-offer strength, support, and comfort.  He tentatively stretched out his hand and put it on Harry's back. 

Any jealousy he might have felt had vanished.

But he was still very confused, so he asked Uncle Sev, "I don't get it.  What the heck just happened?"

"Maybe Harry should be the one to tell you."  But Harry just shook his head and burrowed deeper in to Uncle Sev's robes.  Uncle Sev sighed.  "All right.  Harry gets…visions of the Dark Lord, meetings, and …other things, through his link with the Dark Lord.  It was forged when he got the scar, and after the third task, he could see the meetings.  He can also feel the cruciatus as though it is placed directly on him.  He also feels the after effects.  That was why I asked you to get the nerve- healing potion."

Draco swallowed.  "Does he see…you know…sport?"  Harry cried harder.

Uncle Sev seemed to know what he was thinking, and answered, "Yes, he does, and…yes…he did.  But don't worry.  He won't say anything."

A/N:  This is a couple of days late, I know.  Disk trouble.  I wanted to post while I was in North Dakota and Minnesota, but we were staying in these time-shares, and I don't have a laptop.  Anyway, here it is for your enjoyment.  Please, don't forget to review!  I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis' my 'sam' and my beta for helping me with this fic!

Thanks to all of those of you who reviewed:  Jen(),nickole(),Alina11, leggylover03, Awen, Trunks()

Replies to reviewers:

scythe21:  I've read up to chapter 11 of your story, and it's incredible!  I'll probably finish reading it tonight, (fingers crossed), and review, and email you, if you want me to.

Sky(): I think you're right, he is acting more like a mum!  But don't worry, father/son bonding to be coming soon.

Catti:  I'm sorry for torturing you.  That wasn't my intention.  Please see A/N for the rest of your concerns.

starangel2106:  I don't like shopping either, which is why I didn't go into too much detail.

Anora:  Yes, it is out.  Dundundun!

Moni(): The order has very little timing, it's true.

Hecate Aiwe: I'm glad you like the pace I'm going.  If you think I'm going too fast, please, let me know!!!  And thank you for reading my story, even if it's not as long as you're used to.  That means a lot.  I also have a bad habit of not reviewing, but I've been reviewing a lot more lately, due somewhat to the large amount I got from you.  Thank you again for all of those.  

Nation El-Diablo:  I'm sure we're not the only ones who do.  I'm sure there are a lot of other people who kill the Dursley's.  Come to think of it, I haven't read too many….

jennifer():  I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that.  I'm glad I didn't offend you.  But we actually spent most of our time in this tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny little town on the boarder of Minnesota and North Dakota.  I didn't even know I was in Minnesota until a couple days after I arrived!  Lol

GoddessMoonLady: Adding flavor and complicating things is why I brought Draco into the story.  I'm glad you picked up on that!  

Foureyedsnail:  I'm glad you like the OOC.  


	11. It's Been an Eventful Evening

Acceptance

Chapter ten: It's Been an Eventful Evening*

They sat in silence for several minutes, until they heard the distinctive 'thump' from the living room that meant that someone had just flooed over.

They soon heard the headmaster say loudly "Severus!"

"I'm in here," he replied.

Albus entered the room and was greeted by a very strange sight indeed.  Harry was curled up in Severus' chest and Draco had his hand on Harry's back.

Albus sat wearily in the chair next to Harry's bed.  "Are they dead, Albus?"

"Yes, Severus, I'm afraid they are.  By the time we got there…it was too late."

"What's going to happen to Harry now?" Severus asked.

"That's where it gets complicated.  One of the things protecting Harry was a blood bond between him and his aunt.  He no longer has that protection.  It has to be put back into place by someone else.  That is done using a contract and a potion.  The person, or people, who adopts Harry will gain all parental rights, and Harry would take the last name."

"I know what you're getting at, Albus."

"Do you?" he asked with mock innocence.

"Yes, I do.  You want me to adopt Harry."

Albus sighed. "I'm sorry Severus.  I see no other option.  Just as you were the only one who was able to rescue him and take care of him, you are the only one I can see who can adopt him.  I would, but I am the headmaster, and that would look bad.  Plus, he needs a lot of love, care, and attention, which are things I cannot always provide.  I would ask Sirius,…"

Severus interrupted him.  "You don't have to go there, Albus.  I will adopt him.  Even if there was someone else, I still would."

"Thank you.  This means a lot to me, and I'm sure it will to Harry as well.  The bond will transfer to Snape Manor, so you will both have to spend some time there together."

"I guess I was wrong," Severus said.  He chuckled.  "A Potter will be setting foot in Snape Manor.  Ironically as a Potter-Snape.  I really don't see any reason to come back here.  We'll probably spend the rest of the summer there."

"That's fine.  Just keep me updated," Albus said.  He turned to Draco.  "I trust that this will not reach your father's ears?"

"Since I no longer consider him my father, yes, it will not reach his ears."

"What do you mean by that, Draco?" 

Draco sighed.  He glanced at Severus, then at Harry, and finally at the headmaster.  "He's not exactly a person I can admire.  He's not a good person.  He does horrible things to people who don't deserve it.  It's been a long time since I've considered him to be my father."

"Would you like to stay here longer, then?  I cannot permit the whole summer, but awhile longer is fine by me."

Draco looked at Severus.  "Didn't you ask him?"

"I haven't had the chance.  We were thinking he could stay till August first, after Harry's Birthday.  Harry wanted to have Hermione and the school age Weasley's over, and he also wanted Hermione and Ron to spend the night.  I was thinking about maybe setting up tutoring session for all of them in Potions and DADA."

"That's a wonderful idea!  Is that alright with you, Draco?"

"That's fine, Headmaster.

Severus said, "I also think Hermione and Ron should be here for Harry.  I think he needs people he knows well and can trust right now.  These are going to be a rough couple of days, so I think he could use the familiarity."

Albus was surprised at the man's insight into Harry and what he needed right now.  "I was actually going to suggest that myself.  After the bond is taken care of, why don't you pick them up?  Maybe now would be a good time to go to Snape Manor.  There's a lot more room there.  Also, when he wakes up, I'll need to know about any friends his Aunt, Uncle, and cousin might have had, as well as any relations on his Uncle's side.  They will need to be informed of the funeral.  Harry doesn't need to attend if he doesn't want to."

Severus nodded, and then said, "Draco, while it's still night, why don't you run to your room and pick up whatever you'll need for an extended stay, as well as some clothes to stay at the Manor permanently."

"Really?"

"Only if you want to," Severus was quick to say, afraid that maybe Draco wouldn't want to have a somewhat permanent home there.

Draco, however, was relieved to hear that.  "Of course I do."

Severus let out a breath.  "Good.  Go on."  He made a shooing motion with his hands.

Draco left the room, leaving the two adults to talk.

"I feel very strange, Albus.  I've always considered Draco to be more than a godson, or 'nephew,' but I've never been able to really…let him in.  Let anyone in for that matter.  But, two nights ago, something changed about me.  Harry's touched me in a way I never thought possible.  Now, I have a …paternal…responsibility to two boys.  I don't know if I can handle that.  What if something happens to me, or I die?  What would happen to them?  I mean, I've never been able to really, truly open myself up to anybody, even you Albus.  But now I have to be a father to two boys.  Can I do it Albus?  Can I love them both?  What if…What if they become jealous of each other…What if…" Severus found that once he began talking, he couldn't stop.  The words just flowed out of his mouth as he thought them, and he started to talk very fast at the end.

Albus knew that when Severus started repeating himself, he had to be very worried.  Severus never repeated himself.  "Calm yourself, my child.  I have every faith in you.  You've needed this for a long time: someone to open up your heart.  Now, you have two someones.  Give it time, and you will find the path.  The way I see it, you haven't allowed yourself to love, so you have all of this pent up love just waiting to be released.  You'll do fine, I promise.  And remember, I will always be around if you ever need someone to talk to."

"Thank you, Albus."

"Of course, Severus."

Just then, Draco walked in, carrying a large bag.  They'd been so engrossed in conversation; they hadn't even heard the 'thump.'

"It's been an eventful evening.*  I should be leaving.  You both need your sleep."  From inside his cloak, Albus drew a phial of blood, and two pieces of parchment.  He handed them to Severus.  

"You had this all planned out, didn't you old man?"

"I resent that."

"Which part?"

"Both."  They chuckled.  "Good night.  Sleep well."  He turned and left he room.

Draco was already in his pjs, so he climbed under the covers and said "Good night Uncle."

The torches went out.  "Good night Draco."

End of Chapter 10

A/N: I got the line and chapter title from the 2002 Count of Monte Cristo, staring Jim Caviezel.  Very good movie.

A/N2:  I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta for everything she has done for this fic and me.

Thanks to all of you who reviewed: Nation El-Diablo, jennifer()

Replies to reviewers: 

leggylover03: I'm glad you like the Harry angst!

Potter Reader: I'm glad I didn't offend you either.

starangel2106: Yep Draco's waking up.  Always a good thing.

GoddessMoonLady: Yep, when they get back to school, things will get very interesting, and not just because of the relationships.  As for how long it will be till school begins, as of now, it starts on ch. 23, but that could change.  


	12. Becoming a Family

Acceptance

Chapter Eleven: Becoming a Family

The next morning, Draco was the first to wake up.  He was surprised to see both looked peaceful.  He took a shower, etc, to get ready for the day.  He decided he should leave them alone to let them sort out their issues, so he grabbed his broomstick to go for a fly.

When Severus woke up, he very carefully extracted himself from Harry's grip.  He also took a shower etc.  Contrary to popular belief, he did take showers.  

He examined the parchments.  One contained instructions for the potion.  The other was a contract.  He wasn't surprised to see his name and Harry's name-with the Snape attached- on the bottom.  He went to work on the potion.

When Harry woke up, he had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, but he couldn't figure out why.  And then it hit him.  The Drusley's were dead, because of him, and Draco knew about the visions.  He groaned into the pillow.  When he did finally get up, he didn't even bother changing.  

He went to the living room, but when he didn't see anyone there, he checked the potions lab.  Sure enough, there was Severus, slaving away at a potion.

Severus looked up and tried to grin, but wasn't quite able.  "Good morning," he said.  Harry didn't say anything, but sat on the stool next to where Severus was working.  After adding an ingredient, he stopped and looked at Harry.  Severus also sat down and tried to meet Harry's eye, but he kept his eyes fixed on a spot on the floor.

"Harry, there's something that needs to be discussed.  You see, one of the things that was protecting you form the Dark Lord was the blood bond you shared with your Aunt."

Without looking up, Harry said, "But now it's gone."

"That's right."

"And it has to be replaced?"

"How do you know that?" Severus asked suspiciously.

"It makes sense, doesn't it?"

Severus grinned.  "I was wondering," Harry finally looked up, "would you let me replace it?"

Harry looked up with wide eyes. "Wait, so-you want to…what…adopt me?"

"Yeah, that's how it would work.  I'd have all the rights of a parent, and you'd become a Potter-Snape.  But only until you're 18.  Then you can choose which name you want, or both."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Of course I'm sure Harry.  But you wouldn't have to call me dad, or anything like that.  Let's just stick to Severus for now."

He went back to studying the floor.  "But why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to adopt me?  Aren't I just a burden?  Even now, with out 'becoming your son?'  I'm sure you have better things to do than baby-sit me."

"Is that what you think?"  Harry nodded.  "Of course you're not a burden.  Is that what your Aunt and Uncle would tell you?"

Harry nodded again.  "They were always telling me how lucky I should be that they took me in and that I wasn't thrown into an orphanage."

"Harry, look at me."  Harry slowly raised his head to look into Severus' eyes.  "You are not a burden.  I am doing this out of my own free will, because I want to protect you and make sure that you're safe.  You have no idea how much I've changed in just these past nine days for the better, because of you."

"Really?"

"Of course."

"What about Sirius?"

"The mutt?" Harry's face fell.  "Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry.  I didn't mean it like that.  It's just…well, you know we don't like each other.  I understand that he's your Godfather, and an important part of your life.  Me adopting you won't change that.  I promise, for my part, I will do my best to be civil to him."

"But won't he be upset that I'm a Potter-Snape and not…"

"A Potter-Black?"  Harry put his head down and nodded again.  "He'll get over it eventually."

"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't absolutely sure."

"Alright then.  What do I have to do?"

Severus held out the contract that he'd already signed.  "First you need to sign this."  Harry took it and looked at the name on the bottom.  Potter-Snape.  He figured that it was only until he was 18, right?  He could always change it back to Potter.  He signed it Harry Potter-Snape.  Severus smiled widely.  "The potion is done.  All that's needed is a drop of our blood."  He took a needle, pricked his finger, and let a drop of blood fall in.  Harry offered his hand, which Severus pricked.  A drop of blood fell in.  The potion frothed and hissed before turning blood red.

Severus grabbed two small phials and filled them.  He handed one to Harry.  "On the count of three.  One, two, three."  They drank the potion.  Nothing happened.

Harry was skeptical.  "Are you sure it worked?"

"I sure hope so."  Pause.  "Oh well.  How would you like to come to Snape Manor?  You'd have your own bedroom that you can decorate however you want.  You should also probably bring some clothes to stay over there permanently, as we'll be spending the rest of summer break there. If you want, maybe we could swing by on weekends.  What do you think?"

"Hang on.  You WANT me to have my own bedroom…that I can decorate?"

"Why wouldn't I?"  Harry shrugged.  "Is this about your Aunt and Uncle again?" Harry nodded.  Severus didn't want to prod, but now that he'd adopted Harry, he realized how relatively little he knew about him.  It was time to start.  "Did they make you…sleep in that cupboard?" Harry continued to stare at the ground and didn't say anything.  "Harry, if we're going to be a family, you need to trust me.  I really do want to get to know you."

Another pause.  Then he said very quietly, "It was my 'room' until I was 11.  After I got my letter, they moved me to Dudley's second bedroom, the one he kept all his broken toys in.  But during second year, Dobby came to warn me not to go back, and used magic that the ministry thought had been me, so they sent an owl.  After they realized I couldn't use magic, they put bars on my window and fed me though a cat flap.  Thankfully, Ron and the twins came to rescue me.  Third year I got the second bedroom again, but then I blew up my Aunt Marge, so I ran away to the Leaky Cauldron.  Fourth year, the Weasley's came to get me, but Fred and George left a Ton Ton Toffee.  Dudley ate it and turned his tongue huge.  I think that's part of the reason why I was back in the cupboard this year." Severus sat stunned.  He couldn't say anything.  "Are you sure you still want me?" Harry asked, sounding on the verge of tears.

"Of course Harry.  We already took the potion, but what I just heard doesn't make me want to change my mind.  Do you still want to go to the Manor?"

"Yes."

"Well, go on, pack up.  Oh, while you do, think of any family on your Uncle's side and any friends that should be notified of what has happened." Harry nodded and left for his room.  Severus cleaned up.

Draco soon came in from flying, and found Harry packing.  "What's up?"

"We're going to Snape manor," Harry replied.

"So, you guys already took the potion?"

"Harry stopped packing.  "You know about that?"

"Yeah. I was here when Dumbledore explained it."

"Oh."

Draco packed the few things he'd unpacked back into the small bag.

Soon, they were all ready to go.  They met in the living room and flooed over.

They arrived in Severus' entirely black bedroom.  He showed them to their bedrooms and explained how to change their rooms.  "You think of how you want an object to look, point your wand at it and say 'cedo.'"

"But Uncle, I thought we weren't allowed to use magic outside of Hogwarts."

"Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that my great…well I'm not sure how many great or what relation he was, put many powerful spells over the Manor so that no magic could be detected by anybody.  Come to think of it, the magic surrounding the house it different.  There's something…more, I think is how to describe it.  I guess the potion worked.  Why don't you guys change your rooms and get unpacked.  I'll be leaving for a while, but I'll be right back."

"Bye Uncle."

"Bye Severus."

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam' my beta for helping me with this fic. Please don't forget to review!!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: Nation El-Diablo, Not A Muggle, starangel2106, leggylover03, jennifer(), Lady Lily3.

Replies to reviewers:

Catti: Don't worry, plenty of angst coming up!

GoddessMoonLady: I don't have any serious fights between them, yet.  But that could change.

Kira(): I don't like slash either, which is why I don't write it.

Once again, don't forget to review!!!


	13. The Truth Comes Out

Acceptance

Chapter 12: The Truth Comes Out

 Hermione had the house to herself all day, which she was very pleased about.  She could get some homework done, and maybe watch some T.V.

So when she heard the doorbell ring, she was in the middle of her potion's essay, so she was definitely irked.

She trudged down the stairs and opened the door.  Standing there was none other than Professor Snape, the most hated teacher at Hogwarts.  But she realized there was something different about him.  He wasn't scowling and looking mean, but tired, worn out and sad.  Even his hair wasn't greasy.

"Good morning Miss Granger," he said.  Even his voice sounded tired.

"Morning Professor," she said in a faint voice.  She opened the door wider to let him in, and he came in.  "What…um," she cleared her throat.  "What can I do for you, Professor?"

"I was wondering if you would come with me for a couple of days."

"Why?"

"I can't tell you that now.  I just have to ask you to trust me."

"For a couple of days?"

"Yes.  Hopefully that will be all."

"Hopefully?"

"Plans can change."

"Alright.  Let me call my parents.  Make yourself at home."  

Hermione grabbed the phone and went to her room to call her mom.

"Hey mom!"

"Yes, Hermione?  Is something wrong?"

"Well no.  At least, I don't think so.  Do you remember me telling you about the mean, greasy potions professor?"

"Yes, Professor Snape.  What about him?"

"Well, you see, he's here now.  He wants me to go with him for a couple of days, but he won't tell me why."

"Do you trust him?"

"Well, yeah.  I mean, he is a spy for Dumbledore."

"Do you want to go?"

"I guess so.  It is kinda hard to say 'no' to a professor."

"Then pack your bag and go.  Just make sure to owl me so that I know that you're safe."

"Thanks mom.  Say 'hi' to dad for me."

"Sure.  See you soon.  Bye."

"Bye."  

Once she hung up, she packed enough clothes for five days.  No harm in being cautious.  She came down the stairs with her bag over her shoulder.

He was in the living room with his back to her.  "I'm ready, professor," she said.

He turned around.  When he saw the bag, he looked very relieved.  "Good."  He walked up to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

The next instant, they arrived at the Burrow.  "Was that apparating?"

"Yes.  Let's go," was the curt reply.

They walked to the front door.  He knocked, and Mrs. Weasley opened the door.  "Severus!  Hermione!"  She opened the door the rest of the way.  "Come in.  Come in.  Is there anything I can get for you?"

"No thank you, Molly," Professor Snape said.

But before either could say anything, Mrs. Weasley said, "Did you hear about the Dursley's?  Oh, poor Harry.  I hope he knows and that he isn't taking the news too hard."

"What's wrong with the Dursley's?  Did something happen to them?" Hermione asked.

"They were killed by Death Eaters last night, dearie," said Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh my god!  Is Harry okay?  He's not blaming himself, is he?  Oh, of course he is, what am I talking about?  Can I see him?" she asked

"He's not here, otherwise I would say yes.  Actually, no one quite knows where he is, except Dumbledore."

Severus cleared his throat.  "Molly, I was wondering if Ron could come with me for a couple of days."

Mrs. Weasley glanced at Hermione before looking back at Snape.  "Why?  Does Albus know about this?" she asked, sounding suspicious.

"Of course he does."

She glanced at Hermione once more before calling up the stairs, "RON!!  Ron, get down here NOW!!"

He came running down the stairs.  "Yeah mum?"

She nodded her head toward Hermione and Snape.  "We have visitors."

The look of shock on Ron's face at seeing his most hated professor with one of his best friends was priceless.

"Mr. Weasley, I was hoping you could come with me for a couple of days."  Ron just stared at Snape with his mouth hanging open.  Snape finally said in an irritated tone of voice, "Are you going to answer me, or are you going to stand there staring at me like a fish all day?"

Ron took a quick look at Hermione, who just shrugged, and then at his mum, who nodded.  "It's fine with me."

"Ok," he managed to croak out.

"Go get packed then," Mrs. Weasley said.

He motioned for Hermione to follow him up the stairs and she did.  

Once they were in his room, Ron started packing.  He asked, "What the heck is going on here?"

"I have no idea, but something tells me it has to do with Harry."

He paused in his packing just long enough to say, "With Harry???" and resumed packing.  "What on Earth gave you that idea?"

"Your mum said the Dursley's were killed by Death Eaters last night, but Snape didn't say a word about it.  When he came to my house he looked really worried about something."

"Hello, he's a spy!  He's a Death Eater!  What if…What if he was one of the Death Eaters there?  What if he helped to kill the Dursley's?!"

"Ron, be reasonable.  Snape wouldn't do that."

He was done packing so he stood in front of her and looked her in the eyes.  "Hermione, we're in the middle of a war.  There's no way to know who to trust, and who not to.  Come on, we'd better get down stairs."  Hermione nodded, and they plodded down.

Snape pulled out a small bag from inside his robes, opened it, and held it out to them.  "It's a special Floo powder.  It takes you right to where you need to go without saying it."  They looked at each other apprehensively, but Hermione took a deep breath and a pinch of the powder and threw it in.  She stepped in and disappeared.  

Ron gulped.  He said good-bye to his mum before leaving himself.  Snape also said good-bye and left.

At the Manor, both children and Snape landed in his black bedroom.  "Follow me," he said and led them out of his room and to another door and the end of the hall.  He knocked, but there was no response.  He knocked again.  They heard someone from inside blow their nose, but whoever it was gave no indication that they'd heard.  Snape opened the door and walked in.

It was a large bedroom, nearly as big as the master.  The bedspread and window curtains were Gryffindor red, and the wood was cedar, giving the room a pleasant smell.  The walls were bare and white.

It took Hermione a second to spot the person in the room, but when she did, she was shocked.  It was Harry, and he was crying while kneeling next to a chest of drawers, unpacking clothes from a trunk.  Nothing about this made sense to Hermione.

Then Snape did something completely unexpected.  He went down next to Harry and gave him a hug, which Harry returned!  Since when does Snape give hugs?!

He pulled away and asked Harry "What's wrong?"

"Everyone around me I care about dies: my parents, Cedric, the Dursley's.  I'm afraid for you, and Hermione, and Ron.  I don't want you guys to die too," he sobbed.  

Snape moved so that Harry could see Ron and Hermione.  "Look who I brought here safe and sound."

Harry sagged with relief, and practically ran over to them and gave them a huge hug.  Any thoughts Hermione might have had about Snape ever wanting to hurt Harry had vanished.  She patted Harry's back.  "It's okay Harry."

He pulled away.  Snape said, "I'll let you three talk.  I'll be in my room."

Harry nodded and sat on the bed, and motioned for them to do the same.  "Harry, what's going on here?  Why are you, of all people, at Snape Manor?" Ron asked.

There was a pause.  Harry seemed reluctant to say anything.  "When my aunt died, the blood bond that was protecting me from Voldemort," they flinched "was broken.  It had to be replaced.  Someone had to adopt me-make me their son- so that I could be protected.  That person is…"

"No, please don't say Snape," Ron pleaded.  

Harry nodded.  "But Harry…Why?  Why Snape?  Hermione asked.

"He said it's what he wanted.  Besides, there wasn't a choice.  If he was the only one to rescue me and take care of me, the he was probably…" A look of confusion came over Harry's face, followed by comprehension, and then anger.  "He was the only one.  There was no one else," he said, mostly to himself.

He jumped off the bed, threw open the door, ran down the hall and threw open the door to Snape's room.  Ron and Hermione followed a split second later.

"You didn't have a choice!! You didn't adopt me because you wanted to; you adopted me because there was NO ONE ELSE!!!  You don't care what happens to me!  It was a lie!  Everything you said was a lie!  Dumbledore MADE you, didn't he?  DIDN'T HE!!  You didn't even WANT to adopt me, DID YOU?  He probably threatened to fire you, DIDN'T HE!!?" Harry yelled.

Snape was standing there with a look of shock and horror on his face.  Rather than getting angry and yelling, as Hermione expected him to do, he said in a low, calm, hurt voice, "No Harry, Dumbledore didn't _threaten_ me.  He asked me if I would.  You're right Harry, there was no one else…"

"See, you admit it!  There was no one else!  This proves it!  You didn't even WANT to adopt me!" Harry yelled.

Snape's voice took on a hard edge.  "You didn't let me finish."  His voice lost the edge.  "That proves nothing.  I was going to say, but that didn't matter to me.  I would have wanted to adopt you anyway."

"LAIR!!  You're just saying that!"

"He's not Harry," came a voice next to Hermione.  She jumped at it and when she turned, she was shocked to see Draco Malfoy standing there.  He cautiously approached Harry.  "I was there when Dumbledore asked him.  He said 'Even if there was someone else, I'd still adopt him.'  He's telling the truth."

Harry just stared at Malfoy before turning back to Snape, who nodded.  "It's true."

Harry's shoulder's slumped.  "I'm sorry," he said softly.

The corners of Snape's mouth turned into a grin.  "Don't worry about it."

Ron suddenly rounded on Malfoy.  "What are you doing here?  Why are you even allowed?  Aren't you going to go running to daddy dearest to let him know Harry's here?"

Malfoy somehow managed to stay calm.  "Why would I want to tell Lucius?  I hate him."

"You what?" asked Hermione.

"I  H A T E  H I M," Malfoy said slowly, articulating each letter carefully.

"Why?" asked Hermione.

"Are you kidding me?  He's evil.  He murders and tortures innocent people for the fun of it.  He bea…he's evil.  I would never tell him Harry's here, don't worry."

"'Harry?'  Since when do you call him 'Harry?'"

That threw him off.  "Since…two days ago, I guess.  Look, we're going to be spending a couple of days together.  Let's not fight."  He walked over to Ron and Hermione and held out his hand.  "I'm Draco."

"Why should we trust you?" Ron spat.  

Malfoy's hand lowered, and he took a deep breath.  "I'm sorry for the way I've treated you guys the past four years."

"You're SORRY!" Ron shouted.

Harry walked over and stood between Malfoy and Ron.  "Just stop!  Chill out!"  He turned to Ron.  "Let's hear what he has to say."  He turned and stepped to the side so both Ron and Harry could see Malfoy.

Malfoy took another deep breath.  "I'm sorry, but I didn't have a choice.  If I wasn't mean to you, the others in Slytherin would get suspicious and tell Lucius.  But the truth is, I'm jealous of you three.  You guys are friends because you _want_ to be friends.  You enjoy each other's company.  You've earned each other's respect.  No one is forcing you to be friends.  I…I don't have anyone like that.  Crabbe and Goyle only hang around me because their fathers' make them, but I can't stand them.  I don't have any _real_ friends in Slytherin.  I can't stand most of the people in that house.  Every time I've gone up to you in school, I've wished I could tell you how sorry I was and if we could just be friends.  But I can't do that because of who my _father_ is.

"Hermione, I'm sorry to you for that…_name_ I used to call you.  Harry, I'm sorry for teasing you about your scar and the facts that your parents died to save you.  But my parents would never, ever, in a million years, do that.  Ron, I'm sorry for always teasing you about your family's lack of money and the amount of siblings you have.  But the truth is, I wish I had a family like yours, where your dad does something he loves to do, regardless of how much money he makes, and where you HAVE siblings who care for you and you for them, and who watch your back when your in trouble, and where…" his eyes filled up with tears "where you have a mother that loves you and cares for you.  I've seen you with her on the platform.  I can tell how close you guys are and how much she loves you and your siblings and how much you guys love her back."  Tears started to fall.  "You have no idea how incredibly lucky you are.  So yes, I'm sorry.  I'm so sorry."  He started sobbing.  He put his hands on the face and sunk to the ground.

Ron, Harry and Hermione got on the ground with him.  Hermione put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him to her.  When he leaned in, she pulled him into a complete hug.  Ron said, "We're sorry.  We had no idea.  I'm sorry that I was mean right back."

Malfo-Draco pulled out of the embrace and looked Ron in the eye.  "Really?"

"Really." Ron held out his hand.  "I'm Ron."

Mal-Draco wiped off his face and shook Ron's hand.  "Draco."  He turned around to face Hermione.

She sighed.  "I'm sorry too."  She also held out her hand.  "I'm Hermione."

He shook her hand as well.  "I'm Draco."

Ron was the first to stand up.  He helped the others up.  

Snape came over.  "While you are in my house, or if we are ever alone at school, I forbid you to call me 'professor,' or 'sir,' or 'Snape,'" he said in a deadly serious tone of voice, but he had a grin on his face.  He also held out his hand to Ron and Hermione.  "Call me Severus."

Both were reluctant to do so, but they did, introducing themselves as well.

A/N: There is, and there never will be, anything between Draco and Hermione.  I have other plans for her.  Please, don't take her hugging him as anything more than Hermione seeing someone who was in desperate need of comfort.

Thanks to all who reviewed: jennifer(),leggylover03, GoddessMoonLady, Lady Lily3

Replies to reviewers:

starangel2106: Yep, it will be fun to watch is relationships grow.

Katherine(): Yes, they will be here in the next chapter.

Silvercrystal77: I kinda have an idea of what Sirius will say, but he won't be here for a long while.


	14. The Truth Comes Out, Part 2

Acceptance

Chapter 13: The Truth Comes Out, Part 2

Dumbledore informed them that the funeral would be held the next day. He sent out invitations to Aunt Marge, Piers Polkiss, Aunt Petunia's friends, and some of Uncle Vernon's co-worker's he'd been close to.

Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to go. On one hand, they had raised him. However, they'd done a pretty bad job of it.

In the end, Harry decided he wanted to go, but the wanted to go alone. Dumbledore flat out refused. Ron and Hermione offered to go, but Dumbledore wouldn't allow that either. Severus offered, and Dumbledore okayed that. Ron and Hermione protested loudly, but promptly shut up when Harry said OK.

The rest of the day, much to everyone but Hermione's dismay, was spent doing homework. Once Harry got started, though, he was very glad for the diversion.

The next morning dawned too quickly for Harry, and soon, he and Severus were outside of the cemetery.

They arrived just as the service was starting, so Aunt Marge couldn't say or do anything to Harry. Afterwards, however, they weren't so lucky.

She came marching up to Harry and demanded, "What are YOU doing here? Oh, I do hope they sent you to an orphanage or that they have the presence of mind to send you back to St. Bruno's Secure Center….!"

Harry was fed up with the woman, but said forcefully, " 'They?' Whoever 'they' are, they did not send me to an orphanage. For your information, I have been adopted, and I never went to St. Bruno's what-cha-ma-call it!"

"Oh really?" she asked, puffing herself up.

"Yes, really!" Harry retorted, his tone getting more threatening.

Severus put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Come on Harry. It's time to go."

"And who are you?" asked Aunt Marge.

"He's one of my teachers and the person who adopted me!" Harry said, years of frustration getting the better of him.

"Your WHAT!!"

Severus forcibly steered Harry out of the cemetery and appartated them to the Manor.

"Thanks," Harry mumbled.

"It's no problem." They climbed the stairs. Harry found Ron and Hermione in Ron's room talking. He asked the two of them and Severus to go to his room, and found Draco and told him to do the same.

He sat them all on the bed. "I think it's time for me to tell you about the third task and what happened over the summer. But first, what do you guys know about what happened at the third task?"

"What, other than Cedric dying and You-Know-Who being resurrected?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, other than that."

"Well, nothing," Hermione said.

"I told Cedric that we should tie for it because we get there at the same time and we'd helped each other out. It was all my idea." Pause. "We were portkeyed to a graveyard. Wormtail was there." Ron gulped. "A voice said, 'Kill the spare.' And he did. Wormtail killed Cedric." Another pause. "He then tied me up to a tombstone and dragged out this gigantic cauldron. He took some of my blood and added it to the potion. He then made bone from the grave under me also go inside the cauldron. He then….He then cut off his hand over the cauldron. He then put this grotesque looking thing into it…and…Voldemort rose out of the cauldron. He asked for Wormtail's arm and summoned the Death Eaters."

Draco spoke up. "Lucius was there, wasn't he?"

"Yeah. Voldemort gave Wormtail new hand and went around the circle. He then touched me, and _crucioed_ me twice, and told me about how he got there. He even tried to put the _imperio_ on me, but because Moody, or should I say Crouch, taught us how to fight it, I could."

"Moody? Crouch? What…." Ron asked.

"Crouch's son was a Death Eater. He was put in Azkaban, but Crouch Sr. got him out. He escaped his father's care, captured Moody, and was using polyjuice potion all year. He was the one who put my name in the Goblet," Harry explained.

"So, basically what your saying, is that we were taught _Defense_ Against the Dark Artsby a _Death Eater_?" Hermione asked.

"Basically, yeah."

Draco didn't seem at all shocked by this news, but seemed eager to find out what happened next, so he asked: "So, what happened then?"

"You knew about this, didn't you? About Moody being Crouch, and how Harry's name got into the Goblet. Did you?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Hello! My father is a Death Eater! Of course I _knew_. There was just nothing I could do _about_ it."

"Hhhmm. Let's think about this. Maybe you could have _gone to Dumbledore!!_" Ron said sarcastically.

"Yeah, right, like he would have believed me."

Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione stepped in. "Just, drop it, Ron. Draco has a point. Let's just hear out what Harry has to say, and if you still have a problem with Draco, then you can argue it out. But I'd rather you just dropped it. Go on, Harry. What happened?"

"And then…we dueled."

"And you're still alive?!" Severus exclaimed.

"Now who's interrupting who? At the same time he shouted the killing curse, I shouted expellermus. I know, it sounds stupid, but it was the only thing I could think of. Do you remember the dueling club?" Everyone nodded. "Well, since our wands share the same core, they wouldn't work on each other. This gold light surrounded us, and there was a beam connecting our wands. I had to get this ball thing to his wand, and when I did, Priori Incantatem occurred. A ghost of Wormtail's hand came out first, and a shadow of Cedric. He told me he wanted me to bring his body back to his parents. And then this old man came out, and then a woman. And then," tears welled up in his eyes, "And then my mom and dad." The tears started to fall. "They told me to go and be quick. So I did. I grabbed Cedric's body, and the trophy, and we were back at Hogwarts."

"Why are you telling us this now? Why not sooner?" Hermione asked.

Harry looked Severus in the eye. "Because a certain very smart man was finally able to get it through my thick skull that it wasn't my fault." Severus grinned.

"What about this summer? How did you get all your broken bones? Did your 'uncle' do that to you?" Severus asked.

"Yeah."

Flashback

Harry had just finished cleaning the dishes for lunch, but hadn't eaten himself. It had been nearly two weeks since Hogwarts had been let out, and he'd only eaten about once every couple of days, and even then it wasn't very much.

Aunt Petunia came into the kitchen and got two bottles from under the sink and had him follow her to the downstairs bathroom that no one used.

"Clean everything with both of these. You have twenty minutes," she demanded.

Harry was puzzled because this wasn't on the list, but wisely didn't say anything. He started with the sink, and moved to the bathtub. When he'd finished cleaning both with both solutions, and rinsed them off with water, his throat and eyes started to burn, and it became hard to breathe. He began to cough and cough, but he couldn't catch his breath. He leaned over the toilet and threw up blood.

Uncle Vernon came in and dragged Harry out by his arm and closed the door. He began kicking him in the ribs, but he never let go of Harry's arm. Harry could smell the alcohol on him.

"It's been thirty minutes and you still haven't finished cleaning the bathroom yet, you lazy, good for nothing freak!" he yelled.

He then dragged Harry to his cupboard by the arm and tossed him in.

End flashback

"Later, I went back in there, I realized the two were ammonia and Clorox."

"Oh, I read about that…" Hermione started to say.

"Big surprise there," Ron interrupted.

But Hermione continued on as though she hadn't heard, "And when you mix the two together in water, the end result is chlorine gas. Harry, that's poison."

Everyone just stared at her for a long time, considering the implications of what she'd just said.

Just then, a house elf popped into the room, making everyone jump.

"I's is just wanting to tell yous that lunch is being served."

"Thank you, we'll be right down."

After lunch, and for the rest of the day, they worked on potion. No one really talked all that much. No one really knew what to say.

Finally, much later in the day, Severus explained his ideas for summer training.

"All of you, including the twins and Ginny, would come on Friday for Potions, and Monday for DADA, or vice versa. If you want, you three can spend the weekend, but just know that if you did, it wouldn't be fun and games. We would probably do more Potions and DADA, and I might give you extra help in Charms and Transfiguration, as both can help in DADA. Also, there will be 'homework,'" Ron groaned. "Don't worry, Ron, it won't be all that bad."

"It's homework. Of COURSE it's going to be bad!!" Ron exclaimed.

"Would you at least let me tell you my idea before you decide how good or bad it is?" Ron sighed and nodded. "For Potions, you will each be assigned a plant we will be working with. I don't expect an essay," he looked pointedly at Hermione, "just that you know it's basic properties, where it can be found, etc. You may take notes, though. Nothing too big. While we are making it, that person will tell what they learned. Pay attention, as I just might orally quiz you. For DADA, I will tell you what spells, shields, etc. I want you to look up. If you don't, believe me, while we're dueling, I'll know. I also expect you four to do at least minimal work on Charms and Transfiguration. How does that sound?"

There was a pause, during which everyone turned to Ron. But he didn't notice because he was working on his potion. When no one said anything, he looked up. "Oh, I guess it sounds reasonable.

"Good. So…are you up for it" he asked, sounding hopeful.

There was a chorus of "Yeah's"

"Great! For Potion's, I figure we can start by restocking Madame Pomfrey's healing potions. You should learn healing potions anyway. And Hermione, I know how much you love to read, so you are welcome to any book either here, or at my quarters back at Hogwarts, but you must make sure that you check with me before taking anything."

Hermione looked positively giddy.

The day after the funeral, Ron and Hermione left. They talked to the twins, Ginny, and their parents, who were excited by the prospect.

A/N: I got the idea for the ammonia and Clorox from one of the most powerful books, A Boy Called "It." I got the info about what happens when they are mixed together from Ask Jeeves. I typed in 'How do ammonia and Clorox react when mixed together?' and clicked on the first thing that came up. Some of the symptoms are from the book though.

A/N2: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta for helping me with this fic. Please don't forget to review! They're so incredibly addicting!

A/N3: HUGE THANKS TO kraeg001 FOR BEING MY 100 REVIWER!!

Thanks to those of you who reviewed: Catti, starangel2106, Nation El-Diablo, Lady Lily3, jennifer(),Silvercrystal77.

Replies to reviewers:

leggylover03: :authoress blushes: Best chapter ever! Thanks! I love the aaww moments too.

mydysfunctionalstorm: Thank your friend for me. That's how I got into fanfic, and Harry/Snape nonslash stories too. I'm glad you're now a fan of them.

kraeg001: I love the way you reviewed after almost all of the chapters. Like I told Hecate Aiwe, that means a lot to me.

Vicous Pixie: I'm glad you like the non hp/ss. Like I've said before, I don't read slash, I don't write it. Also, I plan for hg/dm to be just very good friends. I plan on it eventually making it hg/rw and hp/gw, because that's where I think J.K will eventually head. Well, maybe not hp/gw, but I bet hg/rw get together in the end.


	15. What Can Men Do Against Such Reckless Ha

Acceptance

Chapter Fourteen: What Can Men do Against Such Reckless Hate?

It was decided that DADA would be on Friday, which was only a couple of days from when Ron and Hermione left.

Ron had apparently told Fred, George, and Ginny about Severus and Draco, because when they arrived, they were… _polite_ to Severus and Draco.

Severus decided that DADA would take place outside.

"Before I can teach you how to _defend _yourselves against the Dark Arts, you have to know what the Dark Arts _are_. Any of you care to give me a definition?" Severus asked.

"On a most basic level, anything that severely hurts a person, takes away their control of their body, or kills them," said, to no one's surprise, Hermione.

"Very good. So what if a person, with the consent of the other person, turns them into…oh…a spider. Dark or Light? Only answer if your name is not Hermione," Severus said jokingly. Hermione made a face, and lowered her hand.

"Light, I guess," said Ginny.

"You guess, or you know?"

"I know."

"Very good. Now, what if the first person turns the second into a spider, after getting their consent, and squishes them, thereby killing them. Does the act of turning them into a spider now count as Dark or Light magic?"

"Dark?" asked Fred.

"But isn't a spell essentially Dark or Light, right?" Hermione asked.

"Very good Hermione. The spell itself is a Light spell, but the act of killing them is a Dark act. Oh, I know, we should set up some sort of mini point system for tutoring sessions."

"What's the point? Hermione would win," said Ron. Everyone, including Hermione, laughed.

"Not necessarily," wheezed Severus, trying to regain his composure.

Everyone thought for a while. "Let's vote," said Harry. "All in favor?" Every ones hands went up.

"I'll set up hourglasses later, but for now…" He conjured up a piece of paper, made columns, put five points in Ginny's, ten in Hermione's and one in Fred's.

"What's that point for?" Fred asked.

"At least you tried to guess. Here's another question. What if there was a spell that didn't let a person kill himself or herself. Dark, or Light?"

"Dark," said Hermione.

At the same time, Ron said "Light."

Severus was looking giddy. "Ooohhh, we have a debate. Ron, let's hear you first."

"Well, if a person can't kill themselves, that's good right?"

Hermione let out an exasperated breath. "Do you EVER listen Ron?! It takes away a person's free will. It's therefore Dark. However, just like turning a person into a spider is inherently Light, it can be used for Dark purposes. So can a Dark spell."

"But how could that ever be used for Dark? Isn't it good for someone not to kill themselves?" Ron argued right back.

"What if a group of Death Eater's captured you and placed the spell on you so that you couldn't kill yourself while in their custody?" Severus asked.

There was a pause while everyone soaked this in. "Has it ever been used on you?" Harry asked quietly.

"Yes," Severus responded even quieter.

"When? By who? Death Eaters?" asked Draco, praying that Death Eaters, especially Lucius wouldn't use such a spell on his Uncle.

"No. By Albus," Severus replied, his voice still very quiet. He looked at the ground, refusing to meet any of their eyes.

"Dumbledore?!" Harry screeched.

"Do you know any other Albus?" Severus asked sarcastically. Harry shook his head. "Sorry. That tone of voice was uncalled for."

Another pause. "When?" Draco asked.

Severus went back to studying the dirt. He spoke in a far away voice. He was no longer in the gardens of Snape Manor, but reliving a moment in time a long time ago. "It was seventeen years ago. I'd been a Death Eater for many years. Since fifth year actually. I was already teaching at Hogwarts. Something happened that night, I don't even remember what it was now, but something inside me clicked. Why was I doing this? What was I gaining? Nothing. I'd become a slave to the Dark Lord. There was nothing he would ask of me that I wouldn't do. All of his promises, power, strength, all of them, suddenly felt empty. Then I snapped. I tried to kill my self, and I very nearly succeeded." He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt just a crack and revealed the scars. After everyone looked, he rolled them back down. "Dumbledore found me, just in time too. If he'd arrived ten seconds later, I might be dead. He fixed me up and asked me what was wrong. I told him everything. He listened to me ramble for many hours." Severus finally looked up and into Harry's eyes. "That's what I meant when I said I knew about bottled up feelings coming out wrong. Anyway, Albus gave me a choice. For the first time in my life, someone was giving me a choice. He said I could turn myself over and hope for life in Azkaban at the best, Dementor's kiss at the worst. Or I could try to redeem myself and become a spy for the Light. I obviously chose the latter. Too make sure I wouldn't do it again, he placed the spell on me. It's been on ever since."

There was dead silence. Everyone was trying to process what he had just said, and the implications. George broke the silence. "You're a Death Eater?! OH MY GOD!!"

"Was. I was a Death Eater. Yes, I still go to meetings, but only to report to Dumbledore. Didn't Ron tell you?" he asked, referring to George, Fred, and Ginny. By the still shocked looks on their faces, evidently not. "Well," he said in a falsely bight voice in an attempt to lighten the mood. "I guess I owe Hermione five points for winning, and Ron two for debating."

The good mood, even if it started out fake, seemed to catch on and put everyone in a really good mood. "Hey, you only gave me one!" Fred protested.

"Yes, but you didn't debate."

"That's true." And everyone once again burst out laughing.

Once everyone had calmed down, Ginny spoke up. "But what can _we_ do? I mean, were still in school. I want to fight, I do. Mainly to make up for my first year, but we're just kids. Why give _us_ the extra DADA lessons?"

"Because there may be a time when you are called to fight. Maybe not this month, this year, or this war, but the time might come. Especially if you become Aurors. You can also teach other students what you know, if they want to learn. THAT would be an incredible help to the Light. More than you can possibly know. So let's get started, shall we?"

A/N: The chapter title is a line from LOTR: TT. I don't own it, etc.

A/N2: I'm very sorry for this chapter taking so long. Email and personal problems stood in the way. Updates should be getting very frequent between now and the beginning of June, and then I will be going to camp, and I have no idea if I will be able to post from there or not. More on that later.

A/N3: The first two chapters have been reposted, with very little having been changed. They mainly were due to formatting. Thank you guys for sticking with it, even though formatting sucked!

A/N4: Acceptance will be shortly translated into French by an extremely gracious fan. If any of you speak French natively, check it out!

A/N5: I would like to thank my beta HarryEstel for everything she has done for this fic. Also, if any of you are interested, please check out my other story and HarryEstel's stories as well. Please, DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!

Thanks to all of you who reviewed: Silvercrystal77, starangel2106(), Nation El-Diablo, TeamExtremeGurl, leggylover03, Lady Lily3, jennifer(), Fangfoot, spaceddemon, Lady Zee

Replies to reviewers:

kitty254781: I was also appalled by what happened to Dave. Those books are incredibly touching. If I'm ever having a bad day, I think about Dave, and I realize, maybe my day isn't really all that bad. Everyone should read these books, especially the first one, it totally puts things in perspective. (That last bit wasn't quite a reply sorry)

Fuzzy(): You're quite right. I skipped a step. Here's what it says in the website: "Two of the cleaners Gordon had mixed were Clorox bleach and ammonia….But when mixed together, they reacted, and one of the products was a dangerous, poisonous gas called chlorine! Chlorine gas is so reactive that when it mixes with water (such as in tears of the eyes or moisture in the lungs) it forms hydrochloric acid!" Sorry about the mix up.

GoddessMoonLady: Thank you so much for the two long reviews! I didn't even think of a chess tourney, but I love the idea, and it has been added to a forthcoming chapter. Please, tell me what you think of it! As for Snape helping the twins…I guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you! I'm mean, I know! But I don't want to be giving away too much plot, now do I?

Midgette: If you get the chance, read the first one. Go to a library if you have to, but read it!

wpd147(): I reposted the first two chapters (See above) and one of the changes I made was to Sevs name. I honestly didn't know there were that many stories with that name. I can only really think of one or two, but thank you for pointing it out to me.


	16. To Make Yourself More Than You Are

Chapter Fifteen: To Make Yourself More Than You Are

The next week was one of the best weeks Harry had ever had, especially in the summer. He felt not only liked and accepted, but loved. Severus was treating him like a son. They ate together, studied together, and worked on Potions, DADA, Charms and Transfiguration together.

Severus was also teaching Harry wandless magic for Transfiguration, Charms, DADA, and dueling. Harry took to it right away. The only drawback was that it was slightly more draining, but Harry enjoyed the freedom of not always having to rely on his wand.

For Harry, the best thing Severus did for him was simply talk with him. He asked Harry about himself, and he actually _cared_ what his answers were. He wanted to know everything about him. What was life like at the Dursley's? What happened his first four years at Hogwarts? But the best question Severus asked him was how he felt about everything. It took Harry awhile, but he was finally able to talk about his feelings with Severus. It felt good; writing them down was one thing, telling them to another person made it feel like there was a weight that had been lifted off his chest. He was soon sharing everything with him; the good times, the bad, his dreams, and his hopes for the future. It was very liberating for Harry. Sure, he could confide in Hermione and Ron, but this was different. He was talking to an adult who he could trust, who could help him out and give him advice because he had been there before.

For Severus, when Harry started to really tell him how he felt, he sagged in relief. That meant that he was finally able to start trusting him enough to tell him. They were starting to really get close. To become a real family. Because Harry opened up about his past and his feelings, so did Severus. He told Harry most of his horrible past; about the way his parents treated him, the beatings, his time at school, what happened between him and the Marauders, his time as a Death Eater and then as a spy, teaching at Hogwarts, and especially how he felt about it all. It was a relief to get it off his chest.

Draco was able to confide in both of them. He told some stories of his past and some of his feelings, but wasn't yet comfortable to completely open up to them.

So by the time Harry's birthday rolled around, Harry was in the best mood he had ever been in. He couldn't stop smiling the whole day.

Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny arrived at around ten. Everyone, including Severus, went swimming in the huge pool. They ate lunch in the grass next to it.

Then it came time for presents. Fred and George gave him some prototypes from Weasley Wizarding Wheezes. But they insisted that he couldn't pull any of the pranks on anyone there. Severus surprised everyone there by offering to help them with the potions end of it, claiming he was always up to a challenge. They were extremely grateful. Ron got him tons of posters, mainly of the Chudley Cannons for his new room and dorm. Hermione, always the practical one, got him a very nice new watch.

But Severus' was the most shocking of all of them. It was the sword that Harry had pulled out of the hat while in the Chamber, only now it was sheathed in an incredible scabbard.

He put his hand on the hilt, and he felt a warmth in this hands, just like when he held his wand for the first time. He put his other hand on the scabbard, and in one swift motion, he drew the sword. For several seconds, all he could do was examine it. It truly was a beautiful sword. It seemed to come alive in his hands; it was a powerful sword, meant for great things.

Slowly, he sheathed it, and put the baldric over his right shoulder so that it hung from his left hip. He looked at Sev.

"You're going to learn to use it, and how to use it well. I am going to make you into a master swordsman!" Severus proclaimed.

"But…But…But…Why?" Harry stammered. Severus grinned a mischievous grin. "You're not going to tell me, are you?" Harry asked.

Severus only grinned wider. "Nope."

Harry just shook his head, unable to say anything. He sat down with the sword still on his hip.

Draco suddenly jumped up. "Who's up for a game of Quiddich?"

"But we don't have brooms!" Fred protested.

"I've got plenty, don't worry," Severus said.

They went to the broom shed, which was next to a full-size Quiddich field, and inside were several Firebolts. Everyone was shocked.

"How did you get all these?" George asked.

"Long story, but you're welcome to keep them."

"I wish, but everyone would be suspicious if the _Weasley's_ suddenly showed up with Firebolts, don't you think?" Ron asked somewhat sarcastically. Severus face all of a sudden fell.

"Oh. Well, then I guess you can just practice on them while you guys are here," he said in a defeated tone of voice.

Everyone's mood sunk for several seconds, before George said, "What's with all the moping? Lets play Quiddich on Firebolts!"

Everyone played, except Hermione, (who refused to play, and instead insisted on watching) and Severus, who would be refereeing.

On one team, Fred was beater, Ron was keeper/chaser, and Harry was seeker. On the other team was George, Ginny, and Draco, in their repective postions. They played until they could no longer see any of the balls, much less the Snitch.

Because it was so warm, they ate outside. Severus conjured small little balls of light to float around where they were eating. They talked outside until Ginny was almost fell asleep. By the time her and the twins flooed home, it was nearly midnight.

Everyone who was left went to Harry's room to hang out and talk until they fell asleep.

When there was finally a comfortable silence, Severus broke it by saying, "Harry, there was part of your present I didn't tell you about while they were here, for a couple reasons. One because I didn't want them to be jealous. And two because they can't know. And it doesn't just involve you, Harry. It involves all of you." He paused to let the suspense build.

Finally, when Harry couldn't take it anymore, he said, "So, do you plan on telling us, or do I have to wait till my next birthday to find out?"

"I got permission from Dumbledore to…" he paused again with a huge grin on his face.

"…To…" Harry said.

"To train you, all of you, to be animagus."

A chorus of "WHAT!" "You're kidding," etc. broke out.

When the commotion died down, Hermione asked, "Are you one?" Instead of answering, he turned into a very large, black snake and back again.

Everyone looked excited, except Hermione. "What's wrong?" Severus asked.

"Are you registered?"

"Yeah," Severus said, struggling not to betray the lie on his face or in his eyes.

"Oh, 'cause I didn't see your name on the list. Oh well. Maybe it was just because I wasn't looking for it."

"Oh NO!" Ron suddenly exclaimed.

"Now what" asked Severus.

"This is going to require more reading, isn't it?"

"Duh, Ron," said Hermione.

"What is your problem against reading?" Draco asked.

But Ron never got the chance to answer because Hermione answered for him. "I don't think his problem is with _reading_. I mean, he's read Quiddich Through the Ages at least a million times. I think his problem is against _homework_."

"Oh, well that makes_ perfect_ sense." Severus said sarcastically.

"How will we know what animal we're going to be? Is there any way to find out before hand, or influence what animal we're going to be?" Harry asked.

"As far as I know, it has little to do with genetics, although it occasionally can be. Sometimes, it can be based on your personality. Other times, it's random. But there's no way to know before hand, or to influence your animal. So, are you up for it?"

"Of course!" everyone said.

"Great!"

The next day, after everyone left, Severus led Harry, who was wearing his sword, to the backyard.

"There are some very important things you have to know about this sword. The first is that it can…absorb… pain from the _cruciatus_. So at the next vision, focus on the pain and directing it to the sword. This isn't something I can show you how to do, it's something you'll have to teach yourself, mainly because I've never done anything like this before, I only know the theory. This should, _should_, cut down on nerve damage. Another thing the sword does is it will absorb your anger, and the more anger in the sword, the more it will be able to protect you from the pain. This is, again, not something I can show you how to do. Does all of this make sense?" Harry nodded. "Good. Now during school, I will place a charm on it so that no one but you can see it while it's still in the scabbard."

"I have to wear this during _school_?!"

"Yes! The sword has to become a part of you. You have to know it as well as you know yourself. Always, always, always have it with you. Even after school begins, I will still be teaching you sword-fighting. So, let's begin. Draw your sword." Harry did. "And let's fight!"

A/N: I got the chapter title from Star Trek: Nemesis. I am, IN NO WAY a trekkie, nor am I a big Star Trek fan, but HarryEstel is, so of course she made me watch it, but it actually wasn't that bad. I in no way own it, am affiliated, am making any money off of it, obviously.

A/N2: I have a couple of ideas as to what I want their animals to be, but if anyone can offer _reasonable _suggestions, I _might_ take them into consideration. I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta for helping me with this fic! Don't forget to review!

Thanks to all who reviewed with in the less than 24 hour time period since my last update: Silvercrystal77, Nation El-Diablo, jennifer(), HecateDeMort

Replies to reviewers:

starangel2106: Both reasons.

LovingKitten: OK, for now. I can't promise anything though. I don't have any long ones in the near future.

Lady Lily3: Is this fast enough?

Anora: I do realize there is some cheeziness, but Snape is OOC.

GoddessMoonLady: Yes, poor Sev.


	17. So It Begins

Acceptance

Chapter Sixteen: So It Begins

By the time August 14th arrived, Harry was in a state of constant emotional 'high.'  His trust in Severus was growing day-by-day.  He had by now started calling him 'Sev' when 'Severus' became too long and annoying to say.

At first the nickname had irked the older man, as it had while he attended Hogwarts.  But the more Harry used it, the more he became comfortable with it.

Harry and Sev were working very hard with Godric's sword, as well as wandless magic, and Harry was getting extremely good at both.  He was quickly learning how to direct the pain from the _cruciatus_ to the sword.  It turned out that Sev was right; the nerve damage was cut down.  Harry was also finding that the more he practiced wandless magic, the less draining it became.

The 14th started out like any other Monday.  The twins and Ginny arrived at around 10:00, and Ron, Hermione, and Draco had spent the weekend.  At around lunchtime, however, all of their school letters arrived in one envelope, along with three Gryffindor and one Slytherin prefect badges.  A mini party promptly began, with a lot of help from the twins' pranks.

At first, Sev joined in the festivities and congratulations, and helped make plans to go to Diagon Alley on Wednesday.  Harry would go to the Weasley's and they would Floo to the Leaky Cauldron first.  Severus would wait about 20 minutes before going himself.  Draco would arrive 20 minutes later from Malfoy Manor.  They would all then casually make their way to the Alley.

Once that was settled, Severus grabbed that morning's Daily Prophet and settled down into his favorite chair to read it.

What he saw on the front page just about gave him a heart attack.  Azkaban had fallen; the Dementors had left and all former Death Eaters had disappeared.  And Fudge was _still_ refusing to believe that Voldemort was back, blaming the whole disaster on Black, saying that he wanted to bring Voldemort back.

But what really ticked Severus off was that he didn't know about this.  Hadn't Voldemort _just_ declared him his right hand man?

"Everybody FREEZE!" he yelled.  Everybody froze and stared at him.  In as calm of a voice as he could he stated, "Azkaban has fallen.  Did you know about this, Harry?  Has Voldemort had any meetings without me?  Anything?"  By the time he was finished, he voice was desperate, almost pleading.

Everyone turned to stare at Harry.  He shook his head.  "No, nothing," he said faintly.

The second the words were out of his mouth, his scar burned as it did when the Death Eaters were being summoned, and when Voldemort was using the _cruciatus_.  Harry crumpled to the floor in agony.  Sev's Mark was also burning. 

"Bloody hell!  It's the middle of the day!  Since WHEN does he call meetings NOW!?"  He dashed upstairs to grab his cloak and mask before running outside beyond the apparation boarders.

By the time he arrived in the throne room, Lucius, Crabbe, Goyle, and Avery were on the floor, withering because of the _cruciatus_ the Dark Lord had them under.  With out kissing the Dark Lord's robes, he stood in his place in the circle.

He noticed that many places that had been empty were now full: the freed prisoners of Azkaban.  There was also the distinct chill in the air that meant Dementors were somewhere in the vicinity.

After a couple of minutes, Voldemort let up.  In a silky smooth voice of barely contained anger, he hissed, "What were you four thinking?  Going behind my back.  I'm disgusted.  Not, of course, that I'm ungrateful.  However, this might lead that idiot Fudge to the fact that we're back."

Severus stepped forward.  "It has not, my Lord.  He believes Black to be behind it."

"Splendid!" the Dark Lord said somewhat sarcastically.  "Thank you, Severus."  He turned back to the men on the floor.  "Now, why did you do it?"

"We wanted to please you, my Lord.  We know that having the Dementors on your side and our brothers and sister back in the fold would please you greatly, my Lord."

"Liar.  You mean 'I' not 'we,' is that correct, Lucius?"

Pause.  "Yes, my Lord.  That is correct."

"Well, let us welcome our comrades back into the fold, shall we?"

All the Death Eaters who hadn't been in Azkaban shook the hands and clapped on the back those who had been.  Everyone was then dismissed.

By the time Wednesday rolled around, Harry had recovered enough from the _cruciatus_ to go to Diagon Alley.  Because of recent events, it was decided that Severus should go first to the Leaky Cauldron.

When he arrived, however, he was shocked to see Draco sitting at a table picking at his food.  He made his way over to the young Slytherin and sat down.  "What's going on here, Draco?"

Without looking up, he said, "When I told Lucius I was going, he said, 'Great!  I was planning on going as well.  Why don't you come with me?  We'll leave at eight.'"  He'd said all of that rather mockingly, but he still managed to do a very good impression of Lucius.  Draco sighed.  "I told him fine, but if we were going to be leaving that early, I wanted to have breakfast here.  I would have argued, but we both know that arguing with Lucius is as pointless trying to argue with Dumbledore."

Tom came over just then.  Severus was very tempted to order the strongest drink they had, and a lot of it, but decided against it.  He knew that with Lucius at the Alley, he would need all of his wits intact.  Also, he'd been very careful not to touch alcohol, especially during the school year.  He knew what his 'father' had done when he was drunk, and he was terrified that that would happen to him.  So, he ordered a non-alcoholic butterbeer.

Twenty minutes later, Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys arrived.  They threw questioning glances at them, but chose a table and ordered butterbeers.

It had been decided that Severus would go into the Alley first.

He was just about to stand up to go, when someone came bursting into the Leaky Cauldron through the door that led to the Alley, yelling, "The door to the Alley has been sealed!!  I can't open it!"

Tom sprang into action.  "Nobody move!"  He left the room, and everyone held their breath. 

He came back seconds later and said, "He's right!  It's sealed and can't be opened.  Nobody panic, however.  Are there any Aurors in here?"

No one moved for several seconds.  Finally, Severus stood up.  "I'm an Auror, Tom."

"Are you really?" Tom asked in amazement.  "Well then, could you please stand watch by the opening and test it every few minutes?"  Severus nodded curtly.  Tom then went to the fireplace and tapped some bricks.  "Unfortunately, until we find out what is happening in the Alley, the fireplace will be cut off from the Floo network.  I must ask everyone to please, remain where you are, and remain calm.  Everything will be sorted out shortly."

Not a soul moved.  Everyone was just about scared to breathe.

After a very tense half an hour, Severus came bursting in.  "There's been a Death Eater attack!  They brought the Dementors!  Tom, get medi-witches and wizards over here NOW!!"

There was silence for a split second, and then pandemonium erupted.  Everyone started talking and moving around at once.  Tom unlocked the fireplace and headed for St. Mungo's.  Severus rounded up Harry, Draco, Hermione, and the Weasley's and had them all Floo to the Manor.

Once everyone arrived in the living room, they collapsed.  For the longest time, no one talked.

Finally, Draco asked, "Was anyone killed?"

"I don't know.  I didn't wait long enough to see."

In a very soft voice, Draco said, "That's why Lucius wanted to go to Diagon Alley, isn't it?  To be a part of the raid?"

"I'm sure," Severus said.

"Vol…you-know-who wasn't behind this, was he?  I mean, we would have known, right?  You're his right hand man, his second-in-command.  Wouldn't he let you know about it?" Harry asked.

"Not necessarily.  It's sport. He knows how much I loathe sport."

"Sport?" asked Ginny.

"Torturing and killing muggles and muggle-borns for the hell of it.  And raping the women," Draco replied, disgust and anger clearly evident in his voice.

Ginny gasped.

"Draco!" Harry admonished.

He sat up.  "It's true!"

Harry just gave him a look.

Everyone else could feel the tension between the two boys.

To break it, Hermione asked, "Shouldn't you be there, Severus?"

"I'm an Auror, not a medi-wizard."

"Can Death Eaters even become Aurors?" Ron asked.

"The ministry doesn't know I'm a Death Eater, now do they?"

The next morning in the Daily Prophet, there was almost no other news than the attack.  It was reported that three people had died, but their names hadn't been released.  Some people were so critically injured, they might be dead by the time the paper reached people's homes.  Some Hogwarts students had been injured, but no one critically.

What was surprising was Fudge's reactions.  He claimed that a war had begun.  Not against Voldemort, but against Death Eaters.  He still refused to acknowledge the fact that Voldemort had risen.

One reporter had gotten in touch with Dumbledore, who said that a war had begun against Voldemort, and that this should convince people that he had indeed risen, for no _sober _Death Eater would go in the middle of a wizarding community with _Dementors_ and attack _wizards and witches_ without Voldemort's consent.

The message on both sides was clear; a war had begun.

A/N: I got the title from a line that Theoden says in LOTR: TT.  I don't own it, etc, but they are good movies and books.

A/N2: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta HarryEstel for helping me with this fic!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed in the under 24-hour period since my last update (I told you updates would be getting more frequent): starangel2106, Silvercrystal77, HecateDeMort, Awen, jennifer()

Replies to reviewers:

BlueberryPancakes: Nothing is wrong with being a Trekki!  I like Nemesis (if I didn't, why would I have made a quote from it a chapter title), First Contact, and TNG.  I'm glad you like how I incorporated Draco into it.  Thanks!

Lady Lily3: Still fast enough for you? Lol.  As to how Sev will act toward him….You'll just have to wait…I don't want to give too much away!


	18. A Traitor in Our Midst

Acceptance

Chapter Seventeen: A Traitor in Our Midst

Two days later, everyone successfully went to Diagon Alley as had been planned.  Most shops hadn't suffered too much damage and were able to open the next day.  Draco was careful not to run into the others.

That Sunday, Draco and Ron decided they wanted to play chess.  Bad idea, considering both were excellent.  Draco won the first game and Ron won the second.  Half way through the third they nearly beat each other to a bloody pulp, and would have if Harry and Sev hadn't restrained them.  They had to cool off for an hour in separate rooms before they would sit down and play again.

It wound up in a stalemate, and they once again tried to beat each other up.  Sev sent both boys home until the next day.

Friday August 27 marked the last day of summer tutoring.  Both Potions and DADA were going to take place the same day.  Harry and Sev were going to move back to Hogwarts the next day and planned on spending what was left of the summer in peace and quiet, enjoying each other's company and having Hogwarts to themselves.

The next day, after lunch, something happened that had only ever happened once before; Sev was summoned in the middle of the day.  They had been lounging outside in the shade of a tree, so both went inside.  Harry got on his bed to rest because his scar was burning, and in anticipation of what would most likely occur.  Sev grabbed his cloak and mask and hurried beyond the apparition boarders.

The second Severus arrived he knew something was seriously wrong.

Deadly wrong.

None of the inner circle Death Eaters were wearing their masks.

The Dark Lord was smiling.  Not a pleasant smile, though (not that the Dark Lord ever smiled pleasantly).  It was the kind of smile he wore while torturing someone.

"Welcome Severus, my…loyal Death Eater."  Severus could almost taste the sarcasm dripping from his voice.

He got down on his knees and kissed the Dark Lord's hem.

When he was standing back in place, the Dark Lord's smile grew even wider.  He walked up very close to Severus.  "You've been a naughty little boy, haven't you?" he said in a tone one would use when trying to tell a one-year-old they'd been bad.

Severus' mind clicked into high gear.  Does he know?  How much does he know?  Did I slip up?  Did I let my emotions get in the way?  Has dealing with Harry made me vulnerable?

All of these thoughts took less than a millisecond to form, but years of being a spy also played their part by not allowing any emotion to show in his eyes.

"I don't know what you mean, my Lord."

By now, the Dark Lord was looking very giddy, which was never a good sign. 

Rather than answer the question, he said, "Remove your mask."

Reluctantly, Severus did, trying to forestall the inevitable.  He knew that as soon as he removed the mask that he would become more vulnerable to the Dark Lord.

They stared into each other's eyes for a full minute before the Dark Lord moved to stand in front of Lucius, who nodded and stepped forward.

"It would appear…that we have a traitor in our midst."  He walked around the circle before coming to a stop in front of Severus.  Without a trace of emotion, he asked, "You've been passing information to the Order of the Phoenix, haven't you?"

"I am no traitor.  _I_ am not the one that went behind our Lord's back."

Lucius didn't miss a beat.  "Really?  Then, how is it that the Order always seems to know of our plans, except the ones we make last minute that you don't know about?"

The implication of those words took Severus' breath away.  Diagon Alley had been a test.

"You have no proof."

Lucius smirked maliciously.  He leaned in very close to Severus' ear and said in a deadly whisper, "I don't need any."

Severus looked into the Dark Lord's glittering red eyes and said; "I'll see you in hell, mudblood."

And then Severus' world went black.

A/N: I know the days are off, but that's just the way things have to happen.  Sorry.

A/N2: A cliffe.  /authoress crackles evilly while avoiding reviewers-turned-Basilisks/  I'll update soon people, but please don't forget to review, you evil Basilisks.  Lol

A/N3: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta for letting me read this out loud to her so I could work out the kinks.

Thank you oh two reviewers who reviewed in the three hours since my last update: starangel2106.

Silvercrystal77: Yeah, Sev is a take-charge kind of guy.  


	19. Think of the Solution, Not the Problem

Acceptance

Chapter Eighteen: Think of the Solution, Not the Problem

Harry woke up, drenched in a cold sweat. The vision had abruptly ended when the door to Sev's cell had slammed shut after the other Death Eater's had had their… 'fun.'

Harry ran into the bathroom and heaved his guts out.

When his body finished dry heaving, he stood up on two shaky feet. He dragged himself to the workroom and took some of a nerve-healing potion. He then went to the living room to think.

Sev has to be rescued soon, but how? He couldn't use owl post. That took too long and would be too easily intercepted. He had no clue where Dumbledore was. He didn't want to go to the Weasley's. If he did, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would go, as would several Aurors, who don't stand a chance against the whole inner circle of blood thirsty Death Eaters. And he couldn't bear to see them get killed.

The only solution would be for him to go himself. But how?

The first thing he would have to do is calm down. What is it that Sev is always telling him? Think of the solution, not the problem. He would just have to take it step-by-step.

First problem: how to get there and back. The solution…a portkey. As much as he hated them, Sev _had_ taught him about the different kinds and how to make them. He would make two, the first would activate when he said _Riddle Manor_. The second would activate when he said _Severus' bedroom: Hogwarts_.

The second problem was how to get rid of the guards without using any magic. There was a potion that if you threw it on the ground near someone, or someones, the effect would be similar to _stupefy_. He would just have to make sure to cover his nose and mouth.

The third problem was how to accomplish all of this without being seen. His father's invisibility cloak.

It was 8:30. All he had to do was make the portkeys. He'd be out of Hogwarts by 8:40 and have Sev back by 10:00, at the latest.

A/N: The chapter title and same line in the story is a line that is said very often in the first book, Wizard's First Rule, in one of the best series in the world, The Sword of Truth series. A lot of my ideas for the sword in this come from that series.

A/N2: Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I had my Prom. It was so incredible! In compensation I will be posting at least two chapters today.

A/N3: This is short, I know, but it's mostly a filler b/c there were some chapter titles that I loved, and wanted to get in there. But as I said, the next chapter will be posted today, so just keep reading. And DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!

Thanks to all of you who reviewed: jennifer(), Yoshi-fan2003, Kira(), HecateDeMort,

Replies to reviewers:

starangel2106: Yeah, I'm trying to be quick. As you can see, he's not dead.

LordPixel: Pure gold? Thanks. I've never heard that one before!

Avemtilla: I'm sorry! That was a funny review, thank you. Dont worry, I would never kill Sev!

leggylover03: Yes, it was Lucius that turned him in. But remember, he didn't have any proof that he was a spy. And yes, your hint was _very subtle_. lol.

Awen: Yes, I did have to do that.

PadfootsNoxed: Thanks for your many reviews of my chapters. I love that! I'm glad you liked the bats comment!

Potter Reader: This explains how he plans on rescuing him. Does it work....read on

Lady Lily3: Some of my chapter are longer...just not that one. I'm mean, I know.

mthtry: Very sweet review. Thank you. I'm glad you like the warm and fuzzies.


	20. Rescuing Severus

Acceptance   
Chapter 19: Rescuing Severus   
At promptly 8:40, Harry portkeyed himself to outside of Riddle Manor. The sun had set, so he could barely make out the guard standing by the door. He silently snuck up to him. He covered his nose and mouth and tossed one of the potions he was carrying in a box. He'd charmed it at Hogwarts to stay silent. The Death Eater instantly fell to the floor. Harry snatched up his wand, put it in his pocket, and opened the door. He then tossed another for good measure.   
He snuck silently through the house until he found himself outside of the room holding Sev. He once again covered his nose and mouth and tossed a potion. The guard instantly collapsed, and Harry stole his wand.   
He stood up to open the door.   
It was locked.   
He settled himself outside of Sev's cell to wait for someone to open the door.   
  
Two hours and several potions later, Harry was starting to get worried. What if someone came and he'd run out of his potions?   
He didn't have to worry too long. Lucius, and Crabbe and Goyle Srs. soon came marching down the hall.   
They were all unmasked.   
Lucius bent down to check on the guard. When he stood back up, he was looking very worried.   
Harry covered his nose and mouth, and waited for Lucius to unlock the door. The instant he did, Harry tossed the potion. All three of them landed in a heap.   
Harry snatched their wands, opened the door, and went inside.   
He groaned at the sight of Sev. He was a bloody mess, literally. Had his body already not emptied the contents of his stomach, he most surely would have then and there.   
He had one and a half black eyes and many cuts on his face, and his robes were torn to shreds. And that was just what he could see. He knew how badly off he was under his robes.   
Even though he'd seen it all in his vision, seeing it with his own two eyes made it some how worse.   
He bent down and grabbed a hold of his robes. He pulled out the piece of parchment to be used as a portkey and whispered "Severus' bedroom, Hogwarts," and with a tug behind the navel, they arrived in the black bedroom.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta for helping me with this fic! I hope this helps everyone who was scared I'd killed him. I would never do that!

A/N2: Thanks to starangel2106 who reviewed in the half hour since my last update!


	21. Dead in the Water

Acceptance

Chapter 20: Dead in the Water

Harry pulled down the covers and gently laid Sev on his bed. He muttered a spell that stripped him of everything but his underpants.   
He came very close to throwing up. Again.   
His whole body was bloody and red, black and blue. He could even make out boot prints from where they'd kicked and stepped on him!   
He dashed to the workroom and pulled out most of the nerve-healing potions, potions for broken bones, basic healing potions, pain-relieving potions, dreamless sleep potions, and a salve that was used for external injuries to make them heal faster and with minimal scarring.   
He made Sev swallow the potions by muttering a spell. He then gently applied the salve.   
Harry got no sleep either that night or the next. He was constantly making sure Sev was as comfortable as he could make him. He was always using the spell to check on his injuries, which, despite the numerous potions and prayers, were healing too slowly for an impatient Harry. It was like waiting for grass to grow. All he could do was watch and wait and it was proverbially killing him.   
  
Early morning on the 31st, the day before the rest of the students were to arrive, Harry heard a thump from the living room. He stiffened and strained his hearing, hoping that it wasn't Lucius.   
He then heard another thump, like someone had collapsed on the ground. He heard a faint groan, and an even fainter "Harry."   
It was Draco! Harry was in the living room in a flash.   
Lying on the floor next to the fireplace was indeed Draco. He was extremely pale, even for him, and there was a bright red mark on his face. Harry moved closer. He could hear that his breathing was shallow and could see that the red mark was a handprint.   
Harry muttered _wingardium leviosa_ and levitated Draco into their bedroom and on to his bed, as the two beds hadn't been put back together. Draco hissed in pain as he was placed on the bed.   
By now, Harry had moved beyond worried and into scared, as his senses kicked into overdrive. He could smell blood.   
He muttered a spell to remove the bathrobe and pants Draco was wearing. Harry ran to the bathroom to empty the meager contents of his stomach.   
Draco's entire chest, and probably his back, was covered in welts and belt marks. There wasn't a millimeter that wasn't red and bloody from the beating. All of his skin, from what Harry could tell, had been completely removed.   
Harry performed the spell to check for injuries, and found that his initial diagnosis was correct: his chest and back had been so badly whipped that there was no more skin, and many of the cuts had become infected. He had a sore throat, and he was running a severely high fever: 104.3. He was also suffering from nerve damage due to several cruciatuses.   
Harry knew he couldn't keep running back and forth between the two rooms to care for the two men, so before he would even begin to treat Draco, he split Sev's bed into two and gently levitated Draco onto the new one. He went to the workroom and grabbed fever-reducing potions and an antibiotic that could be applied directly onto the wound.   
When he got back to the room, Draco was barely sitting up, and was coughing very violently. Before Harry could reach him, though, he stopped and lay back down, wincing, and closed his eyes.   
Harry sat on the bed. "I need you to drink these for me. Can you do that?" Draco nodded weakly.   
Using a muttered spell, he helped Draco get propped up on pillows and gave him the potions. The last one was a dreamless sleep, and Draco instantly fell asleep.   
Harry then used magic to place Draco on his side, where there were the least injuries before gently rubbing the antibiotic and salve on both his chest and back  
Since he was almost out of the potions he was using, he took a quick trip to Snape Manor via Floo powder, grabbed the potions, and came right back.

A/N: Another cliffe? I personally don't think it is, but that's probably b/c I know what will happen next.

A/N2: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta for helping me with this fic!

I would like to thank those of you who reviewed in the approximately 12 hours since my last update: starangel2106

Replies to reviewers:

Potter Reader: He's probably thinking like a Slytherin because not only could he have been in that house, but he spent the entire summer with the head of that house. Yeah, the updates were short, sorry.

Avemtilla: You write the funniest reviews. Don't worry. The Death Eaters will get what they deserve. It will be a long while, but it will come to them.

leggylover03: He _could_ have taken someone with him, but who? And how would he have contacted them? Besides, Harry likes to get stuff like that done by himself. He's very independent.


	22. A Discussion with Dumbledore and a Stran

Acceptance

Chapter Twenty-one: A Discussion with Dumbledore and a Strange Visitor

At around 1:00 p.m. that day, Harry was straining to keep his eyes open, when he heard the door to the living room from the main castle open. He was suddenly wide-awake, all drowsiness forgotten.

When he heard Dumbledore say, "Severus? Harry?" he sagged with relief.

"In here, Professor!" Harry said loudly.

Dumbledore opened the door and came in. When he saw the two people who were laying on the beds, he got tears in his eyes, and his hand went to his mouth. He sat down on a chair next to Severus' bed, which was closest to the door.

"What happened?" he asked faintly. Tears were now flowing freely down his face. Harry had never seen the headmaster looking older, sadder, or more vulnerable.

"Lucius turned Sev in as a spy. The thing is, I don't think he had any hard _proof_. He even said so. I think he just wanted to be Voldemort's right-hand man, and the only way to do that would be to get Sev out of the way."

"How did he get here?"

"I rescued him," Harry said in a tone of voice that clearly stated how obvious that should be.

"You _what_! Harry, you do realize that what you did was very rash, and that you could have gotten seriously injured or even killed! Why didn't you contact someone?! You can't even use magic outside of Hogwarts!"

"I didn't see a choice, sir. I didn't know how to contact you, and owls are too risky. And as for how I did it, I took my invisibility cloak and used those potions you throw. And it worked, didn't it?"

Dumbledore fixed him with a disappointing glare, but Harry never looked away. "Despite the fact that what you did was incredibly risky, it was also incredibly courageous and the actions of a true Gryffindor."

"Thank you, Professor."

Dumbledore smiled, and switched topics. "What about Draco?"

"I think it was Lucius. I think he did it a while ago too, because he has a fever and infection. He arrived this morning."

"What have you been giving them?"

Harry told him.

"You know, when Poppy arrives here tomorrow, she'll want Severus to go to the hospital wing," Dumbledore said.

Harry groaned. "I'm sure he hates being there."

"Oh, indeed he does. I've lost track of the number of times he's tried to escape down to here. In a hospital gown nonetheless!" Harry laughed at the mental picture that made.

"Why don't they stay down here? I could take care of them!"

"Them?"

"Draco too."

"Harry, the students arrive tomorrow, classes begin on Thursday. How on Earth do you propose to go to classes, do your homework, and take care of them two very injured people?"

"I can do my homework down here. And maybe we can set up some kind of system, maybe…pendants around the neck, or something, where if they need help, mine heats up…."

"You've been thinking about this, haven't you?"

"Well…not for this purpose, but yeah. Two-way pendants where if one person needs help, that makes the other one heat up. Maybe for this though, we could make it one way."

"Are you sure about this Harry?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"I'll talk to Poppy then. She won't be happy, but I'll see what I can do. Besides, this way they can have privacy from nosey students. However, you may not go on the train tomorrow."

Harry nodded. "I had no intention of going."

"Good. I must get going. I'll have Filius work on those pendants for you."

"Thank you, professor."

Albus left Severus' quarters, his mind swirling. He was sick with worry over his student and the professor. Not only was Severus a good teacher, (feared, but good) he was also a very good friend. He knew he could count on Harry.

He was so lost in this thoughts, he ran smack into someone on the main entryway. He was shocked to see that it was Lucius Malfoy.

"Good afternoon, Dumbledore," Lucius said stiffly.

"Lucius. How may I help you?"

"I was wondering if you'd seen Draco."

"It's not yet the start of the term. I haven't seen any students since last year."

"Why were you coming from the dungeons?"

"I'm making a potion."

"I see."

"Why are you looking for Draco? Perhaps he is at a friend's house, enjoying the last day of summer vacation?"

"I checked, but he's nowhere."

"I'm quite sure he'll turn up."

"Thank you. Good day," Lucius said, and before Albus could respond, he turned around and walked out the door.

Albus smiled to himself. He could be a very good liar when the need arose.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta HarryEstel for everything she's done for this fic!

A/N2: I hope this answers everyone who was wondering why Harry just didn't call Poppy. She wasn't at Hogwarts.

I would like to thank everyone who reviewed: Lady Lily3, leggylover03, Deborah in L.A.(), Yoshi-fan2003, jennifer(), Fangfoot, opal(), Potter Reader, Silvercrystal77, heala, HecateDeMort,

Replies to reviewers:

starangel2106: What's "on low key?" But I'm glad you liked it.

Avemtilla: Once again, another funny review! Thanx!

Awen: I don't WANT them to suffer! But the way I set it up, I have no control over these certain events. If Sev became Voldies right hand man, Lucius would find a way to get him out of the way, Harry would rescue him, and Lucius would take out his frustration on Draco. Like I said, I don't control those things.

Kira(): I'm not entrirely sure how long it's going to be, but I know where it's headed. I'm up to ch. 31, and its only a couple weeks into school!

GoddessMoonLady: I am IN LOVE w/ SOT!! You HAVE to read the sixth book. Its the best one, in my opinion. Go to www.terrygoodkind.com to find out the lastest news on the next book.


	23. On the Train

Acceptance

Chapter Twenty-two: On the Train

For the rest of the day and into the night and through to the next morning, Harry got zero sleep, and he barely ate. Sev woke up a couple of times, and Harry got him to eat some broth.

But Draco hadn't woken up at all. His fever was down to 103.5, and his nerves and torso were looking much better. The infections were gone, but the wounds were healing slowly.

Back in London, Hermione and the Weasleys were anxiously waiting for Harry to arrive. When the whistle blew, Mrs. Weasley said, "Send me an owl tonight to let me know he's okay."

There was a chorus of "Yes, mums." Everyone crammed themselves into one compartment.

Hermione, always the voice of reason and logic, said, "Hello! He was staying AT HOGWARTS! What's the point of coming all the way to London, just to go back again?"

"But apparation is instantaneous. He loves coming on the train with us, right?" Ron said.

"What if Draco turned them in!" said Fred.

"Yeah!" chimed George.

"How dare you! We know Draco wouldn't do that," Hermione scolded.

"No, but Lucius would," said Ginny.

"Good point," Ron agreed.

"Maybe Lucius turned Severus in as a spy. That seems like something he would do. He's power hungry, and Severus is You-Know-Who's right hand man," said Fred.

"And he cracked under pressure and turned in Harry," suggested George.

The conversation went on like this for most of the rest of the train ride, everyone coming up with crazier and crazier ideas, with Hermione always saying they were impossible. By the time they got there, everyone except Hermione was convinced that something horrible had happened to Harry and/or Severus and/or Draco. They were all ready to burst into tears.

They stepped onto the platform. Professor Lupin was there to escort the first years to the lake. They were about ready to go up to him, when a familiar voice said, "Hey everyone!"

As one, they turned around. Harry was standing there, smiling.

Hermione and Ginny burst into full-blown tears and gave him one big group hug. Even Ron and the twins had tears in their eyes.

Harry chuckled weakly. "Hey guys, what exactly did I miss?"

"You're alive!" Ginny sobbed.

"Well, duh. Let's get moving; we're making a scene." He had to practically pry Hermione and Ginny off of him and drag them to a carriage.

Once inside, they bombarded him with questions. Harry told them the whole story. They were sitting in the Great Hall by the time he was finished.

They were all very worried and automatically scanned the staff table for Severus. One thing they did notice that was odd about the staff table was that there was no Hagrid.

"I wonder where he is?" Fred commented.

"Probably still with the giants," Harry said.

"Where!?" George exclaimed.

Hermione was about to answer, but their conversation was cut short by the sorting and start of term announcements.

When the feast began, Hermione asked, "Can we see them?"

"No, not yet. Please, don't bug me either."

Noting the tension in his voice, they all nodded.

Harry ate everything in sight. Even Ron couldn't believe his appetite.

"Harry, have you eaten at all?" he asked.

"No time." Ron snorted.

No one said anything the rest of the feast, as they were too busy eating.

After, Harry said good night, and went back to the dungeons using the invisibility cloak.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta HarryEstel for helping me with this fic.

A/N2: Sorry about the late update. Real life and a computer freaking out on me prevented me from updating. Please don't forget to review. They're addicting.

A/N3: I would like to thank nickole() for being my 200th reviewer, as well as everyone else whos reviewed that made those 200 reviews possible. THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I honestly didn't think I would get this many, and it is a very big honor. Thanks again.

Thanks to everyone who reviwed:Lady Lily3, leggylover03, shy3wolf, jennifer(),

Replies to reviewers:

starangel2106: Don't worry, he'll get tired. He has a breakdown soon (but you didn't hear that from me)

Avemtilla: I love your reviews. You let him go! Why'd you do that?

Silvercrystal77: See starangel2106.

kraeg001: You continued to review- 100 reviews later, but that's fine. I love getting reviews everychapter. Mixed feelings for the Dursley's dying? Be happy! They abused Harry! Happy Sev can be weird. Yes, Sirius will appear, but not for a long while.

nickole(): You're right, I probably should be more detailed. I'll try, but for somethings, I thinks it's better to leave it up to the reader.

athenakitty: Nah, Dumbledore's not mad at Harry: he's proud of him. He was just shocked that Harry would rescue Sev and not let anyone know. I don't really know what house he would be in. He has qualities from all the houses. Which house do you think he was in?

Amanda(): I hate cliffies, and if I do have to do one, I try not to leave you hanging. I'm glad that it's not confusing, I try not to. But it's soon going to get confusing for awhile. I apologize in advance.

GoddessMoonLady: Don't start over from book one. If you want a summary of 1-5 email me, and I'll get it to you. Start w/book 6- like I said, its the best in my opinion. Yeah, Poppy could fix him up, but again, yeah, it is more interesting to watch Harry.

MercyMe: See, there's more. Don't worry, I've got plenty more coming.

Fangfoot: I almost missed being able to thank you in this chappie. So, thank you for the review.


	24. The First Days of Classes

Acceptance

Chapter Twenty-three: First Days of Classes

Harry arrived at breakfast early the next day. Draco had actually woken up the night before, and Harry had managed to feed him some broth.

The Weasley's and Hermione arrived soon after, and class schedules were passed out.

"Oh, Double Potions first thing. I wonder who will be teaching it?" Hermione mused.

"Madame Pomphrey, I think. She won't be too happy to see me, though. I 'stole her patients,'" Harry said sarstically.

Just then, the mail arrived. Hedwig flew to Harry. She was carrying a rather heavy looking letter. She dropped it in his lap, and proceeded to eat right off his plate.

Harry shook his head at his bird and opened the envelope. Inside were three chains with pendants on them: one red lion, one black snake, and one green snake. There was a letter in there as well that read:

_Dear Harry,_

_Here are the pendants you were telling me about. The lion is for you, the black snake for Severus, and the green one for Draco. They've been tested and they work splendidly._

_The charm that makes this system work is a part of the chain to, so the pendant doesn't have to be touching the person to work._

_Make sure they're wearing them before classes begin._

_Good luck,_

_Professor Dumbledore_

Harry put the red lion around his neck and explained to the others his idea. He finished eating, gave Dumbledore a thumbs up, and left for the dungeons. Both were sleeping so he slipped them around their necks.

He barely made it to potions.

Harry was right; Madame Pomphrey was teaching the class. She scowled at Harry as he entered just before the bell rang. Harry thought she looked disappointed that she didn't have a reason to give him a detention.

She had them all make a basic healing potion, as it was one she knew how to make. Harry was relieved. Harry made this potion so many times, he probably could have made it with his eyes closed. He partnered up with Neville to help him with the potion. With Harry's help it was, miraculously, almost perfect.

They had a lot of time left, so Harry slept.

After lunch was double Charms. Professor Flitwick spent most of the class time impressing on them the importance of O.W.L.s, and then assigned them revision for homework. Harry slept through most of the lecture.

He wolfed down his dinner before going back to the dungeons, where he once again got no sleep.

The next day, Friday, Harry was very nearly a walking zombie.

During double Herbology, Professor Sprout also gave them a lecture on O.W.L.s and assigned them revision and Harry slept through most of it.

Professor Binns didn't waste time with O.W.L.s and went strait to a discussion of, what seemed to Harry to be some random goblin rebellion of some random year. He wasn't quite sure because once the Professor started talking he fell asleep. Hermione woke him up just in time for him to hear Binns assign them a foot on it. He got the exact rebellion and year from her. After once again scarfing down his dinner, Harry disappeared to the dungeons.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta for helping me with this fic.

A/N2: Sorry this is so short. I'll be posting the next ch soon. It's my favorite one for some reason, so critical comments are very welcome. Thanks to everyone who reviewed: HecateDeMort, starangel2106, jennifer(), leggylover03, Huffelpuff Kid,

Replies to reviewers:

Lady Lily3: Does this answer your question?

nickole(): What's your story called? Yes, imagination is a beautiful thing. It's what makes the world go 'round. lol

MidnightPrincess: Thanks for kinda doing the whole review as you go thing! And yes, Sirius will be seriously (pun intended) POed. I've got a scene in my head, I just haven't written it yet. No one major is going to die, and Sirius and Snape will have a very tenuous relationship. I don't plan on them ever coming too good of friends.

nathalie(): :blushes: I didn't _learn_. I guess I just love to write and tell stories.

Rhysel Ash: Harry never went _on _the train. He just met them at the _trainstation_. Sorry I didn't make that clearer. Hope this didn't ruin the story for you!

Avemtilla: I do love getting reviews from you. I see your name and I smile! Now you've got Voldie! Oh geez, you don't give the bad guys a break, do you? Good for you! Very funny, as usual.

AAandACFOREVER: Bummer about you and your b/f. If you want to change your s/n, go to settings after you've logged in. The first thing on the page is a thing to change your s/n. I think. If that doesn't work, I'm very sorry.


	25. Breaking Point

Acceptance

Chapter Twenty-four: Breaking Point

When Monday arrived, Harry somehow managed to make his way to the Great Hall for an early breakfast. He was beyond exhausted. He had gone beyond exhausted along time ago. He had gotten no sleep since before school started, except for the precious few times he'd fallen asleep during classes Thursday and Friday.

The weekend had been horrible for Harry. On Saturday, Severus had gotten much better. _So much better_ that he felt a _need_ to argue that he wanted to go back to teaching come Monday. By Sunday, they were in a full-blown argument that Harry ended up dragging Dumbledore into. He agreed with Harry: Severus shouldn't teach, but for _some unknown reason_, the man was _absolutely_ determined.

Harry did have to admit (not that he would ever say this to Severus) that he was looking better. His bones, skin, and nerves had, for the most part, healed, but he still wasn't strong enough to teach.

Draco was a whole other story. He was still very, very sick. His temperature kept fluctuating the whole weekend. The lowest it got was 101.9; the highest was 104.3. Harry was beginning to think it had more to do with something being psychologically or emotionally wrong, but he nonetheless kept giving him fever reducing potion.

That was one other thing that went wrong. He very nearly ran out of potions, but when Dumbldore came once, Harry asked him if he could grab potions from Madame Pomphrey. He was back within the hour, carrying everything he needed.

Harry was picking at his food. Despite having barely eaten, he had no appetite.

Hermione and the Weasleys came in just then and sat down around him.

"Harry, where have you been?" Hermione asked.

"You look horrible, mate," Ron said, sounding, like Hermione, concerned.

Hermione smacked him on the arm. "RON!"

"It's okay Hermione. I know I look horrible. Check your schedules for me. Who has Potions today?"

"We do," said Fred, speaking up for his twin.

"So do I," Ginny said.

"And the three of us do as well. This is perfect," Harry said as he pulled out five pieces of parchment and handed each of them one. "I need you guys to make these for me. If you can make more than one batch, that would be even better. Bottle them up, and give them to me. The stubborn _bat_ is _insisting_ on teaching today, so I'll let him know you guys are making them. He knows you can make whatever potion he throws at you, so I'll tell him to just give you the A."

"But why didn't you make these over the weekend?" George asked.

"No time."

"Right. Just like you had _no time_ to eat at the opening feast," Ron said.

The second those words were out of his mouth, Severus walked into the Great Hall. His face looked drawn and tired, and was still cut and bruised; he even had the remnants of a black eye. He couldn't seem to muster up the energy for his usual scowl, nor for his menacing stride. But then again, he was walking with a limp. He glanced over to Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys and attempted a smile.

Harry started shaking his head and tears sprang to his eyes. The attempt of a smile fell from Severus' face.

"Oh no, no, no, no. First, he insists, _insists_ on teaching, and now he's coming up here to _eat breakfast_!?" Harry said to himself. He looked at his friends. "That man is going to drive me crazy, I swear to god. Give him a couple of days, and you will find me in St. Mungo's in a strait jacket!" He shot Severus a very dirty look before grabbing his books and storming out of the hall.

He went strait to Severus' quarters.

Draco was awake. _Perfect_ timing.

"What's wrong? Where's Uncle Sev?" He mouthed.

Not wanting to scare the already traumatized teen, he took a deep, calming breath before flopping down onto the chair in between the two beds. "The obstinate man just_ had _to go eat breakfast and just _has _to teach class," Harry fumed. He took another deep breath, and picked up the bowl of broth. "Can you have some of this?" Draco nodded, and Harry wound up feeding him the whole bowl. Draco promptly fell asleep.

It was time for potions, so Harry made his way to the classroom, once again arriving just before the bell rang. The Slytherin's were holding their breaths, apparently waiting for Severus to jump on Harry for nearly being late. He did no such thing.

He was, in fact, already sitting in his chair behind his desk. Everyone was confused by this, including the Slytherins (though they would never show it, and preferred to scowl instead), as he usually stormed in.

Harry sat next to a shaking Neville. "Don't worry. Just listen to me, and I'll help you make this potion correctly." Neville nodded, but he didn't seem to notice that the potion wasn't yet on the board.

Without getting up, Severus said, "Welcome back. I'll give you your O.W.L speech next class." He waved his wand at the board, and the directions to make the potion appeared. "So make this potion. Get to work."

Everyone scrambled to get to do as they were told. Ron and Hermione were partners, but was each working on a different potion. Harry was helping Neville.

Ten minutes into class, Neville asked Harry, "You're not making the potion we're supposed to be making, are you?"

"Drop it Neville. Concentrate on your potion," Harry said, through clenched teeth.

"But…"

Harry lightly slammed his fist on the desk. "I said 'Drop it!'" he whispered menacingly.

Neville jumped. "I'm…I'm sorry."

He took a purging breath. "Me too. I shouldn't have lost it like that. I'm just under a lot of stress," Harry said while giving Severus a dirty look.

Neville must have noticed, because he asked, "How is Snape stressing you out?"

"Don't go there, please."

From the front of the room, Severus said, "Mr. Potter, please come to my desk."

Harry did, and was followed by the "OOHH's" and "Potter's in trouble," from the Slytherins.

Once Harry reached the desk, Severus asked, "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm just in a bad mood."

Apparently choosing to ignore the implications, Severus asked, "Why are yours, Ron's, and Hermione's potions wrong?"

"I haven't had time to make any, so I asked them, Ginny, and the twins to make some that I need for me. Just…give them the A will you?"

Severus sighed. "Alright. Get back to work."

The next class was DADA with Lupin. As everyone was entering, Harry could hear them muttering how strange Severus had been.

Harry was so ready to fall asleep, and was silently praying that he wouldn't launch into an O.W.L. speech so Harry wouldn't disappoint the man and stay awake.

No such luck. Harry quickly fell asleep.

When class was over, Lupin stopped Harry before he could escape the classroom. "Harry, meet me in my office at 8:00. We have to have a chat," he said, sounding and looking concerned. Harry nodded and left for lunch.

After lunch was double Transfiguration. McGonagall's speech wasn't all that long, and they were soon transfiguring water goblets back into animals.

Harry slept through the whole speech and explanation.

McGonagall must have noticed this because while everyone was trying to perform the spell, she went over to Harry, Ron, and Hermione's table.

"Mr. Potter," she said sternly, but Harry was sleeping, so he didn't hear her.

Ron, who was sitting next to him, jabbed him awake. It took him awhile to focus on his professor.

"Mr. Potter, why on Earth are you sleeping in my class?" she asked.

"I'm sorry professor, but I've only gotten ten hours of sleep since before school began. And that's if I'm lucky." Harry's response was lifeless and automatic. Everyone's attention was riveted on the conversation between the two.

"Why so little?"

"I can't tell you?"

"Oh, really? Well then, are you able to do today's assignment?"

"Yes, professor."

"Do you know what today's assignment is, Mr. Potter?"

"No, professor."

"Then how do you know that you will be able to do it?"

"It's a long story professor."

There was a pause, during which Harry nearly fell asleep again, but was jolted awake when McGonagall said, "Mr. Potter, today we are transfiguring water goblets into animals. Would you kindly give us a demonstration?"

Harry focused on the goblet and it changed to a small owl. Everyone except McGonagall, Ron, and Hermione was so shocked that he could even do it, that they didn't notice that he didn't use a wand.

"How are you able to do that?" McGonagall asked.

"It's a long story."

"So I've heard," she said dryly. "Please, continue working on the spell everyone."

Hermione and Ron threw Harry looks, but he was already asleep.

Because of the extra Transfiguration lessons over the summer, they both could perform it flawlessly, so they spent the rest of the class in silence. Hermione was reading one of the books she borrowed from Severus, and Ron was working on Binns' essay.

Just before the class was over, McGonagall came over to them.

"Mr. Potter." Harry jerked awake, aided by an elbow in the ribs from Ron. "What class do you have next?"

"Charms, professor," Hermione spoke up.

McGonagall transfigured an inkwell into a quill and parchment and scribbled a note. She held it out to Ron and Hermione.

"Will one of you please give this to Professor Flitwick?" Ron, who was closer, grabbed the note. "Harry, I want you to go to the dorms and get some sleep. The note explains where Mr. Potter will be. Alright?" They nodded and the bell rang. McGonagall gave the class their homework and dismissed them.

Once they were out of the classroom, Ron asked, "Are you going to go to the dorms?"

"Yeah, I think I will. Wake me up at 7:30. Professor Lupin wants to talk to me. What's the password again?"

"It's _tor_. Don't worry; we'll make sure you're awake. Do you want us to bring you back anything?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, please," Harry replied before moving in the direction of the dorms.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta, HarryEstel.

A/N2: Tonight and tomorrow morning will be the last time I will be able to use the computers at my school library, and I'm very sad. I've written, posted and read so much fanfic on this one computer it feels more like my computer than the one at my mom's does. :Tear: One of the sad things about graduating I guess. :Authoress starts sobbing: I'm going to miss this library. :Authoress tries to dry her eyes, but fails miserably: Anyway, I've got alot written and on doc manager, its just a matter of getting it up, and typed up. I also found a way around not posting while at camp, so you will for sure be getting updates this summer. The chappies will probably be short and in a couple of parts, due to lack of time (its a sleep away camp) and they might not have individual thank yous, unless someone brings up something very important. I'm blabbing sorry.

Much thanks to starangel2106 for reviewing with in the minutes of my last posting. I'm so amazed at how you do that! Scarfing (in the land of enb) means to eat fast. He ate a lot, at least in my mind. Imagination, though. Its up to whoever reads it to decide if he ate alot or a little.


	26. Suspicions Form

Acceptance

Chapter Twenty-five: Suspicions Form

During dinner, Remus sat in between Snape and Minerva. When he noticed Harry wasn't with Ron or Hermione, he pondered out loud, "I wonder where Harry is?"   
"He was nearly falling asleep in my class, so I sent him to his dorm to sleep," Minerva said.   
"Good. He fell asleep in my class too. I'm curious as to what's wrong with him."   
"I have no idea. He wouldn't tell me."   
"I asked him to come to my office at eight. Hopefully I'll find out then."   
"You know what else is weird?" Minerva asked Remus.   
"Hm?"   
"I had them…"   
"Them who?"   
"Harry's class change water goblets into animals. Harry was asleep while I was explaining how to. When I asked him to do it, he did flawlessly. But the really weird part is that he didn't use a wand. But what I want to know is where he learned it. That's very advanced magic for a new fifth year, even with a wand." Severus started coughing. "Are you alright?"   
Severus nodded and took a swig of pumpkin juice. "Fine," he choked.   
"What do you think, Snape? How was Harry during Potions?" Remus asked coldly.   
"I didn't notice anything odd. His potion didn't look quite right, which is usual for Mr. Potter." Albus started to laugh.   
"What's so funny?" Remus asked.   
Still laughing, Albus answered, "It's nothing."   
Remus turned his attention to Ron and Hermione. Both were giving Snape dirty looks. He asked Snape, "Did anything happen between you, Ron, and Hermione?"   
"No. I was sitting down the whole lesson. But from where I was sitting, even Miss Granger's potion looked wrong." Albus started to laugh again. "Why do you ask?"   
"They're giving you dirty looks." The minute Snape looked at them though, they looked away. "Never mind."   
They ate the rest of the meal in silence.   
  
At 7:00, Ron brought up food for Harry, and when he was done eating, he left for Lupin's office.   
When he entered, Lupin was grading. Harry sat down, and when he did, Lupin looked up. "You look better."   
"I took a nap."   
"Harry, why did you fall asleep in my class? What's going on with you?"   
"It's a long story, Professor."   
"When we're alone, please, call me Remus or Moony. And I have a long time."   
Harry sighed. "Where do I begin?" He paused. "I guess…at the train station, at the beginning of summer. Hermione made me promise…"   
Harry stopped. Just then, the pendant around his neck began to heat up, and the blood drained from his face. He grabbed his bag and jumped up, saying, "I have to go," and burst out of the room.   
  
Remus jumped up and followed Harry the second the shock wore off. He was now even more baffled than ever. Harry was just about to confess to him, so why did he suddenly turn white as a ghost and leave?   
Even though Harry had hardly any head start, he was still very far ahead of him. They pounded through the castle, Remus losing more and more ground all the time.   
The most mysterious thing of the night for Remus occurred when Harry disappeared behind the portrait that could only have led to Snape's rooms.   
He waited for an hour before leaving, but Harry didn't come out.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta HarryEstel for helpling me with this fic!

I would like to thank everyone who reviewed in the less than 24 hours since my last posting:

Replies to reviewers:

starangel2106: I know life goes on. It's just sad is all.

MidnightPrincess: Yeah, Harry can be just as stubborn as Sev. But in this Harry's in the right: Sev shouldn't be returning to teach.

Oorjit: Your survival is in my hands? You're a goner then. lol

Rhysel Ash: I meant ruin in that you no longer liked the story. Oh well. Sorry to confuse you.

Avemtilla: Another great review. 3 kb. That's pretty big. Barney! Voldie is getting what he deserves I guess.

athenakitty: Harry's mad at Sev because he doesn't think he should be returning to work. Yeah, they do the potions, but you don't see them give the potions to him. And poor Harry doesn't get nearly enough sleep for awhile.

monica85: I'm glad you agree with me and don't think I'm completely insane.

leggylover03: Hermione could, but Harry doesn't want them to see Draco in such a vulnerable state.


	27. The Evil that Lurks Within

Acceptance

Chapter Twenty-six: The Evil that Lurks Within

When Harry had left Mooney's office, the pendant was barely warm. The more he ran, the hotter it got, meaning the person was in bigger trouble, so the faster he ran. By the time he reached Sev's rooms, he thought the pendant was going to burn his skin. He was dimly aware of someone running behind him.   
Once he was through the portrait, he drew his sword and wand, fully prepared to battle whatever evil might be waiting for him. But there was nothing in the living room.   
Without missing a beat, he ran into Sev's bedroom.   
Sev was sleeping peacefully, but Draco was tossing and turning, deep in some devilish nightmare. His tossing was causing some of the healing his torso had done to become rapidly undone. Harry sheathed his sword.   
He sat next to Draco and whispered _envenerate_. Draco immediately stopped moving, but he was still breathing heavily. He flipped himself onto his side and looked at Harry.   
The pain and anguish, both physical and emotional, in those eyes took Harry's breath away. "Do you want a dreamless sleep potion?" Draco nodded.   
From his bag, Harry removed a dreamless sleep potion, as well as a pain relieving one. Draco finished both and instantly fell asleep.   
With the utmost care, Harry rubbed some of the salve on Draco's torso.   
He then settled down for yet another long, sleepless night of homework and watching the two men.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta HarryEstel for helping me with this fic.

A/N2: This is the last thing I will ever post from this library. :Authoress starts sobbing again: Sorry guys. I guess graduation is catching up to me. Today all the good times start though. I'm going to get my drivers licence today (pray for me) and tonight is grad night at Disneyland, which means no sleep. And HarryEstel is coming in tomorrow (she moved and left me! lol) and we're going to see PoA. And then on Sat I graduate!!! You guys don't care about this though, do you. Oh well, just had to get that out.

I would like to thank starangel2106 for reviewing in the 15 mins since my last post.


	28. The Malfoy Name, Money, and Manor

Acceptance

Chapter Twenty-seven: The Malfoy Name, Money, and Manor

The next morning at breakfast, Pansy was getting very worried, confused, and anxious.  Draco _still_ hadn't shown up, and Professor Snape still wasn't looking all that great, nor had he been down to give the Slytherins their welcome here/back speech.  The rumor was that he'd gotten into some sort of a fight.

She needed answers.  She could ask her dad, a Death Eater, but she knew he would never tell her a thing.

Then, she got a very good idea.  Mr. Malfoy.  She remembered her dad mentioning before she went to school that he would probably soon be the Dark Lord's right hand man.  She also knew that he was close to Professor Snape.  Maybe _he_ would give her a strait answer.  She pulled out parchment and a quill.

_Dear Mr. Malfoy,_

_Hello, this is Pansy Parkinson, and there are somethings that I was wondering about._

_The first has to do with Professor Snape.  He only just arrived in school yesterday, looking like he got into a major fight._

_Also, I was wondering where Draco was.  No one seems to know.  I haven't seen him since the end of school last year._

_A bunch of us checked the infirmary, but neither was in there._

_It was my idea to write this letter, no one helped me.  But everyone in Slytherin is very worried.  Please, if you can, answer back soon._

_Pansy Parkinson_

She sent it before the first period of the day began.

Lucius was sitting in his study that evening when an owl flew in carrying a letter.  It was from Pansy Parkinson!

He skimmed it, then read it, then re-read it, then read it yet again.

He folded it up, and flooed to Severus' quarters.

He landed and called for Severus.  He opened the door to what he knew was the workroom, and called out for Severus again.

There were three doors left to try.  He knew one was Severus' bedroom, the other was the guestroom, and the third was the bathroom.  The only problem was that he didn't know which was which.

He picked a door.  It was the guest room, but the weird thing was there were two beds: one in Slytherin colors, and the other in Gryffindor ones.  He filed that info away for future reference.

He opened the next room.  There was a large black bed, and Severus was under the covers, sleeping.  He closed the door and flooed to the Dark Lord's throne room.

When Harry heard Lucius leave, he let out the breath he'd been holding.  The second he heard Lucius' voice, he levitated Draco gently under Sev's bed.  He then crawled under himself, and put the two beds back together again.  When he heard Lucius leave, he separated the bed, got out, and levitated Draco back on the bed.

Lucius arrived in the throne room.  The Dark Lord was sitting on the throne, reading.

He looked up.  "Ah, Lucius, what can I do for you?"

"Severus is back at Hogwarts."

"Is he now?  And you hear this from a reliable source?"

"Yes, my Lord.  Pansy Parkinson."

"Hm.  Perhaps it is time to tell me what you have learned.  What did the guard at the front door say?"

"All he knew is that one minute he was guarding the door, and the next thing he woke up on the ground, his wand missing."

"And the guard at Severus' door?"

"Same thing."

"And you, Crabbe, and Goyle?"

"Again, same thing."

"Everyone lost their wands?"

"Yes, but they have all since been replaced."

"Did the person wait until after you unlocked the door?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Is there any other way to make yourself invisible, other than an invisibility cloak?"

"Not to my knowledge, my Lord."

"And no one heard any incantations?"

"No, my Lord."

"And the possible solutions for that are…"

"A person very skilled in wandless magic doesn't need to say any words."

"Is that the only way?"

"I believe so.  Except…"

"Yes?"

"I vaguely remember Severus mentioning a potion that he was working on. If you throw it at someone, they will be stupefied.  I remember it thinking it was funny when he said the person doing the throwing has to cover their own nose and mouth, or they will be stupefied as well."

"Then perhaps it was a student, which would explain why they waited until _after_ you unlocked the door to get Severus."

"I found something _unusual_ when I went to Severus' rooms.  In the guest bedroom there were two beds, and one was decorated in Gryffindor colors."

"That is very strange. Ask Pansy if she's noticed Severus acting different toward Gryffindors, or one Gryffindor in particular.  Also ask her if any Gryffindors seem different.  What else did Miss Parkinson write?"

"She said the he only just showed up on Monday looking like he was in a fight. She also mentioned that they'd checked the hospital wing, but that he wasn't in there."

"Do you know if his guest room gets used often?"

"Draco stays there sometimes."

"Did he spend any time there over the summer?"

"Yes.  I dropped him off around the middle of July for extra Potions lessons.  Miss _Granger_ got higher marks than him again.  He asked to stay for two weeks, and then stayed over there every weekend after."

"And Severus is your age, is he not?"

"Just about, my Lord.  He's two years younger than me."

"Tell me, how is young Draco?"

"I don't know."

"Meaning…"

"He disappeared."

"When?"

"I'm not entirely sure.  A day or two before he was supposed to leave for Hogwarts."

"Any ideas as to where he might have gone?"

"I had thought perhaps Hogwarts, but I spoke to Dumbledore and he denied it."

"Why did Draco disappear?"  Lucius refused to speak and instead stared at the wall behind the Dark Lord.  "Lucius?"

"I beat him," he whispered.

"And is it usual to beat him?"

"Not usual enough, apparently."

"How bad was it?"

"I don't know.  It was right after we discovered Severus was missing."

"Do you often take out your frustrations on Draco?"  Lucius once again refused to speak and stared at the wall.  The Dark Lord got up and began to circle Lucius, like a vulture before devouring its prey, while talking.  "How well do you know your son, Lucius?  What is his favorite color?  His favorite Quiddich team?  His favorite food?  Does he like any girls?  Do you even think of him as your son?  Or is he merely…property?  A person to carry on the Malfoy name, money, and Manor?  Perhaps the reason he spent so much time with Severus is that he considers him to be a father figure.  Or…it could be that I am wrong, and that you do love you son _with all your heart_.  But, for some reason, I don't think that is the case."  He sat back down and steepled his fingers.  Lucius continued to stare at the wall, his jaw now clenched tightly shut.  "Tomorrow, I want you to go back to Dumbledore. Find out what you can and report back to me."

Lucius bowed and said through still clenched teeth, "Yes, my Lord," before flooing back to Malfoy Manor.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta for helping me with this fic.

A/N2: I'm at camp now, but time on the comp is SERIOUSLY limited. I don't think I will be able to type much, but I have up to ch 32 waiting to be posted. I will try to type, but don't count on it. I'll try to space them out for you though. I cant thank you all personally, but thanks to everyone who reviewed. athenakitty asked why Dumbledore was laughing. He was laughing b/c he knows that Harry is VERY good in potions, and would NEVER mess up a potion. He knows something is going on, and finds the whole situation funny. I don't know who it is, sorry. Later 


	29. I Regret to Inform You

Acceptance

Chapter Twenty-eight: I Regret to Inform You

That night, Harry was down in Sev's quarters.

Draco's fever had broken, and his torso was starting to heal after his nightmare. Harry was feeding him broth with some vegetables and noodles to get Draco's stomach used to solid food.

Sev was in his bed, grading. Harry had insisted that if he was going to be teaching, he would have to stay in bed the rest of the time. Sev had reluctantly agreed.

"Hey, Draco, how would you like it if Hermione and the Weasley's came down to see you tomorrow night. They've been dying to, you know." Draco shook his head as well as he could, considering he was lying on his side. "How about just Ron and Hermione then?" Draco nodded. "Great! After Astronomy then."

Lucius strode though the front doors to Hogwarts early the next morning, but stopped short when what seemed like the whole Great Hall emptied after breakfast. None of the students seemed to notice him, or if they did, they ignored him. Those who were brave enough to look him in they eye were met with a scowl.

Then, something caught his eye. The mudblood Granger was laughing with the riffraff Weasleys. Lagging behind them was Potter, wearing a thoughtful look on his face. Potter looked up and saw him. Lucius' scowl deepened.

Potter's face suddenly made a complete transformation from thoughtful to absolute, unadulterated hatred. He could almost feel the loathing radiating off of him. Try as he might, he couldn't keep the scowl on his face under the piercing glare.

But it was the intensity of Potter's emotions that completely baffled Lucius.

Potter, Granger, and the Weasleys passed in front of him and disappeared up the stairs.

Lucius stood there, until he heard a voice say, "Mr. Malfoy?" He pulled himself out of his reverie. Standing there was Pansy Parkinson.

"Ah, Miss Parkinson. I must thank you for your letter. It was most informative."

"Your welcome. I'm glad I could be of service."

"By the way, have you noticed any Gryffindors acting strangely, or Severus acting strangely toward any Gryffindors?"

"We've only had Professor Snape for one class, and he was sitting down the whole time. Oh, but, he did call Potter up to his desk. I don't know what they said, but Potter looked pretty upset about something."

"Interesting. Well, if Draco returns to school, would you please let me know?"

If this confused Parkinson, she didn't let it show in her face or eyes. She would make a good Death Eater. "Of course."

"Good." And without so much as a good-bye, he turned and swept away.

During breakfast, Harry told Hermione and Ron about going to see Draco, and, just as he'd predicted, they were extremely excited.

After breakfast was over and they were leaving the Great Hall, Harry let the others go ahead of them. He could hear Hermione and Ron tell the other Weasleys about going to see Draco, and he could hear them laughing.

Laughing. The whole concept had become so foreign to him. He was beginning to feel as though he'd forgotten how.

It seemed like his mind was trying to think about everything at once. He was getting worried about Hagrid. He still hadn't gotten back from where ever it was he'd gone. Probably the giants. That horrible Professor Grubby-Plank had taken over for him yesterday.

He was also thinking about Hermione and Ron's visit tonight. How was he going to hide Draco's healing torso?

And then he saw Lucius. His busy mind froze. His heart started to pound very loudly in his ears, his teeth clenched, and his eyes narrowed. _This_ was the man who turned in Severus. He was the person who'd beat _his own son_ nearly to the point of _death_ and then just _left him there to die!!_ This evil, _evil_ man was responsible for countless deaths, and yet he _DARED_ to show his face in Hogwarts! The nerve! The insolence!

Lucius was on his way to Dumbledore's office when he ran into him.

"Dumbledore. I am starting to get…worried. I still can't find Draco."

"Not one for formality, are you? I regret to inform you that I haven't seen him. If he does show up, I will contact you."

"I am also concerned about Severus. I heard he got into a rather nasty fight. How is he?" Lucius lied smoothly.

Dumbledore's expression and voice didn't change. "He is doing better, but as to how he got injured, I'm afraid that information is confidential."

"Thank you." He turned and left.

  
Harry's first class was double DADA with Moony and the Slytherins.

"I have a plan for getting you ready for your O.W.L.s, as well as having some fun. We will be dueling…" the class groaned as one. "Whats wrong with dueling?"

"Our second year, Professor Lockhart tried to start a dueling club. It was a complete disaster," Pansy said, shooting Harry a dirty look.

"Well, not to worry, this will be very different. You will be learning theory first, starting with shields, and moving on to offense. As long as it is nice outside, we will be doing the practical part outside."

"What about the fun bit?" Semus asked.

"I'll be bringing in Dark animals, but not nearly as many as your third year."

He spent the rest of the class talking about the different kinds of shields and demonstrated them. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were relieved because they were, by now, pretty much expert duelers.

After class, Moony pulled Harry to the side. "Will you meet me at eight in my office?" Moony asked.

Harry nodded. "Sure."

Moony smiled. "See you then."

After lunch was double Transfiguration, and Harry was having trouble concentrating. His mind kept drifting to what he was going to tell Moony. He knew the truth was the best, but how much of the truth? Should he tell him why Draco wasn't in school? About what happened to Sev? If he did the latter, that would mean admitting that Sev was a Death Eater, and he wasn't sure how Moony would take that. If he was in the Order, that would be one thing, but Harry had no way of knowing whether or not he was.

By the time dinner rolled around, Harry stomach was in knots, and he didn't think he would be able to hold anything down. But Hermione and Ron, acting in typical Ron and Hermione fashion, kept pestering him to eat.

Harry watched Sev limp out of the Hall. He waited a minute or two before leaving himself.

Once in Sev's room, Harry plopped on his chair. "Moony wants to have a talk with me tonight."

"Who?" Sev asked.

"Moony." Sev raised a questioning eyebrow. "Professor Lupin," Harry clarified.

"Moony. As in werewolf?" Harry nodded. "Is that the same Moony who wrote on that piece of parchment?"

"You remember that!"

"Yeah. What was that thing?"

"The Marauder's Map. My dad was Prongs and Sirius is Padfoot," Harry said proudly.

"And Wormtail?"

"The rat. The TRAITOR!"

"Peter Pettigrew?" Sev asked

"Who's Peter Pettigrew?" Draco asked.

"The bastard who betrayed my parents," Harry said, anger clearly evident in his voice.

"I thought Sirius Black was the traitor,"

"HA! Yeah, right. Sirius is my godfather, and quite innocent. Look, from now on, can we please not talk about Peter?" They both nodded. Harry turned to Sev. "Any ideas how to hide Draco's torso?"

Sev nodded. He took out his wand, and levitated Draco a couple inches off the bed. Gauze bandages began wrapping around Draco. He was then slowly lowered back to the bed.

"Perfect!" Harry checked his watch. "I should get going. See you after Astronomy."

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta HarryEstel for helping me with this fic.

A/N2: I'm still at camp, and I 'have the weekend off.' I SHOULD be in Vegas, but alas, I'm only a Junior Counselor. I'm sorry its been so long since my last update, but I've BEEN SO INCREDIBLY BUSY!!!! A/N3: I didn't get the chance to explain my viewpoint of the last chapter. The way I see it, Voldy was putting himself in Draco's shoes. The questions he asked Lucius were questions that he wanted someone to ask him when he was his age. Sorry if that doesn't make much sense, but then again, it is 1:00 in the morning. If you still have questions, or just don't want to send a review, please feel free to send an email to enb2004hotmail.com. I will send a quick reply back. VERY QUICK, but I will still reply. If this seems kinda weird, its because it is late at night, and I'm sorry. A/N4: I want to address a review that I got awhile back, but didn't have the chance to reply to. The reviews came from its raining at night... er... morning(), woke up again...(), up way too late(), all the same person (I think). Yes, I know I am borrowing from Terry Goodkind, and I made that clear in my a/ns following those chapters. I am addicted to SOT, and I don't think I could write something without that being somehow present. But I'm glad to know that you like the series. Email me if you want.  A/N5: I ACTUALLY have the time to thank everyone personally, so here we go! I would like to thank everyone who reviewed: AAandACFOREVER, snowbunny3, HecateDeMort, Lady Lily3, Fangfoot, leggylover03, crazyNproud(), Dragonmaster Kurai, sami1010220, jennifer(), Awen, Basilisssk, Vaughn, karmasnape Replies to reviewers: starangel2106, Avemtilla, nickole(): I hope what I said up there helps explain it a little better. If it doesn't, feel free to email me. MidnightPrincess: This won't be the last of Pansy messing things up. OOPPS, you didn't hear that from me...uumm, a little bird told you. WOW, I've been around 9 year olds for WAY too long. lol. Signeus: I like construtive critisism (Not how you spell it, but its REALLY late). I like the saying at the end of your last review. I hope you're still reading the fic! athenakitty: HHMMM, you'll just have to wait and see! Celebrean: I don't know if you read the bit about adding detail, but I like readers to use their imaginatation. Silvercrystal77, GoddessMoonLady: I'm glad you get it! sami1010220: Hopes this answers your questions. 


	30. Suspicions Confirmed

Acceptance   
  
Chapter twenty-nine: Suspicions Confirmed   
  
Remus was sitting in his office, waiting for Harry to arrive, doing some serious thinking. He first thought back to what Snape had said earlier, that Hermione's potion looked wrong.  But something about that just didn't sit right with Remus.  Hermione was an exceedingly smart witch.  She may not like Snape, but she wouldn't mess up on a potion. And why in the world was Harry so exhausted that he would fall asleep in all of his classes, other than Potions?  And where was Malfoy?  He'd spoken to Albus about it, but even he wouldn't give Remus a strait answer.  He'd also questioned Albus about Snape, but he didn't get a strait answer there either. Could all of that be connected?   
  
Right at 8:00, Harry walked in, biting his lip.  He sat down and started bouncing his leg.   
  
"Nervous?" Remus asked.   
  
"Nervous?  Me?  No.  Why would I be nervous?" Harry asked, his voice slightly higher than normal.   
  
"You're biting your lip and bouncing your leg."  Harry immediately stopped doing both. "Harry, I want to let you know that you can tell me anything, and it won't go beyond my office.  I want to get to know you.  Maybe try to be a father-figure, if you'll let me."  Harry gulped.  "You won't let me?"   
  
"No.  It's not that. It's just….uummmm…."   
  
"Why don't you start at the beginning of the summer?  You mentioned Hermione telling you something at the train station?"   
  
"Yeah…." And Harry told him about his summer.   
  
When he got to the part about Snape becoming his 'father,' Remus wanted to shake Harry's shoulders and say "But you're a Potter!  You're Lily and James' son!  Snape doesn't deserve to be your father!" Instead, he bit his tongue.  Saying that would do no good.  Harry was a Snape, and Remus would just have to learn to accept that fact. Harry stopped telling the story, and Remus was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't even notice.    
  
"Moony, are you alright?  Are you angry with me?"   
  
Remus snapped himself back to the present.  "No, Harry, I'm not angry with you.  It's just …shocking…is all.  Give me awhile to come to accept it."   
  
"Will Sirius be coming here anytime soon?"   
  
"Halloween."   
  
"Could you please not tell him?  I think I should."   
  
"I think you should too."   
  
He continued with the story.  When he got to the end, he said, "And we moved back to Hogwarts.  And then…"   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"I can't tell you the rest."   
  
"Why not?"   
  
"Because they're not my stories to tell.  They're Sev's and Draco's."   
  
"I understand."    
  
Harry checked his watch. "I have to get to Astronomy.  Do you still promise not to tell anyone what I told you?"   
  
"What about Albus?"   
  
"Except him, Ron, and Hermione."   
  
"It's a promise."   
  
"Good.  I'll see you later.  Bye."   
  
"Bye Harry."  Harry picked up his bag and left. 


	31. A Long, Hard Road to Follow

Acceptance

Chapter Thirty: A Long, Hard Road to Follow

After Astronomy, Harry led Ron and Hermione down to the dungeons.

"You guys have to understand something.  Just because you're going down there doesn't, by any stretch of the imagination, mean that he's healed.  He's still got a long, hard road ahead of him, and he needs every ones support.  So just act normal.  Don't say how horrible he looks," he gave Ron a look, and he put his head down.  "I could take that, I don't think he could.  Just, tell him how glad you are to see him, and just see how the conversation goes.  Alright?"

They nodded, and walked the rest of the way in silence.

When they reached the door to Sev's room, Harry slowly opened the door.

Ron and Hermione came in.  Harry could hear Hermione gasp and choke back a sob.  Draco was laying on his side.  The bandages were still wrapped around his body.    Harry conjured up two more chairs in between the two beds, and the three sat down.

"Hey Draco.  How are you feeling?" Hermione asked.

"Better."

"You're looking pretty good," Ron said. He seemed to be trying his best to sound sincere.

"Thanks.  What's been going on in school?"

Hermione and Ron proceeded to launch into a very detailed account of all of their classes, as well as everything that had happened in the Common Room, including many funny incidents regarding the twins and their pranks.  Harry actually found himself laughing.  It was such a relief for him.

After about an hour, Harry saw Draco's eyes begin to droop, and as politely as he could, kicked Ron and Hermione out.

I would like to thank my 'sis,' my bff, my 'sam,' and my beta for everything she has done for this story.

A/N2: WOW OVER 300 REVIEWS!!!!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! This chapter, though its short, sorry about that guys, is dedicated to Signeus, my 300 reviewer. THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU!!! 


	32. Telling Pansy Off

Acceptance

Chapter Thirty-one: Telling Pansy Off

Double Potions was first the next day, Thursday. Sev gave an very short O.W.L speech, and then gave them a hard potion to work on. Harry worked with Neville to make sure he would get his potion right.

Sev was stalking slowly around the room, critiquing Slytherins just as much as the Gryffindors. However, he didn't take any points away, nor did he give out any detentions.

Charms passed without incident. They were still reviewing last year. The same happened with Herbology and History of Magic on Friday.

That weekend, Draco was getting better remarkably fast. Hermione and Ron's visit seemed to make Draco want to get better faster so he could get to school sooner. He got so much better that he said he wanted to go to school come Monday.

Since his trunk was at Malfoy Manor, Harry waited until Sev left, and then flooed to the Manor, shrunk the trunk, and flooed right back. It took less than a minute.

When Sev found out, though, Harry got an earful. But at least he'd accomplished what he'd set out to do.

Harry and Sev woke up very early on Monday morning to get Draco ready. He got a sponge bath, and was wrapped in gauze again. The hardest part was getting him dressed with out making his injuries worse.

Sev than went up to the Great Hall, and Harry followed soon after.

During breakfast, Harry barely ate. "Why are you checking the door all the time Harry?" Neville asked.

"No reason," Harry said absently, his eyes still on the door. Only seconds later, Draco walked into the doorway.

OOO

It had taken Draco much longer to get to the Great Hall then he'd thought it would. His body just hadn't built up the strength, and his chest and back were killing him.

He had finally reached the Great Hall. He stood there in the doorway, savoring the feeling of actually being there.

He noticed that the Hall was completely full, and the longer he stood there, the quieter it became, until the everyone was watching him, but no one dared say a word.

He bit his tongue and, using every ounce of strength he possessed, straitened his shoulders. He then somehow found more strength to walk across the hall to the Slytherin table.

Pansy was motioning for him to come sit next to her. Suddenly, the acrid taste of blood filled his mouth, and he tried desperately not to swallow it. After what seemed like an eternity to Draco, he sat down next to Pansy. The whole Hall erupted in chatter.

"Where have you been?" Pansy asked accusingly as Draco picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth.

"It's nice to see you too."

Pansy's eyes went wide as she realized her mistake. "Oh, I'm sorry!" she said, throwing her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a hug. He tensed and bit his tongue again, but this time he didn't bite it hard enough to draw blood. She pulled out of the embrace, and said, "But seriously Draco, where were you?"

He began spooning small amounts of food onto his plate. "I'd rather not talk about it."

"But were you in the castle? A bunch of us checked the infirmary, but you weren't in there."

"Can you please not go there?"

"But what have you been doing?"

A fourth-year girl with brown hair and blue eyes who was sitting across from them, answered for him, "Why do you keep asking the same thing in different ways? He obviously doesn't want to talk about it. Can't a guy eat his breakfast in peace?"

Pansy rolled her eyes, but rather than answer the girl, she said to Draco, "Your father's going to be so excited to hear that you're back. He's been so worried about you."

The fork that was half way to his mouth stopped, as did his breathing temporarily. "You've been talking to my father?"

"Well, I was worried about you. I didn't know where you were, and I didn't know who else to turn to."

"You have to promise me that you won't write to him and let him know I'm back."

"But Draco I can't do that!"

"Sure you can. It's really not all that difficult of a concept. Just don't write the letter." The girl across from them started to laugh, but covered it up with a cough.

Pansy gave her a condescending look before turning back to Draco. "I want to help you, Draco. I care about you." This time, the fourth-year didn't even bother to cover up her laughter. "What is so funny?" Pansy snapped.

"That…you…care…about…him…" she said while laughing.

"I really don't see why that is so funny to you."

It took the girl awhile, but she finally stopped laughing. "Several reasons. The first is that you never once asked him how he was. When one person cares for someone else, that generally implies caring for his or her well-being. Second, even after he asked you to not talk about something, you insisted on pressing the point. Third, and I think most important, is the first question you asked, and continued to ask, is 'where were you?' I later find out, his father also wants to know where he was. This would lead me to believe that the only reason that you wanted to know where he was is to pass the information on to his father. The logical conclusion based on this line of thought is that you don't care about Draco at all, and that all you care about is getting the information to his father to get onto his good side."

"I so do not understand you."

"Am I speaking in a different language? Do you need hand-puppets?" She held up the index finger on each of her hands, and started to bend the one on her right hand. "This…is…you," she said slowly.

"I get that part. I just don't understand how you could draw such conclusions about someone you don't even know!"

"It's easy. Any one with half a brain and an ounce of logic would be able to figure what I just figured out. You seem to have neither if you can't realize your own ulterior motives."

"I don't have to sit here and listen to this from some pathetic third-year!"

"Fourth, actually."

"Whatever! The point is I'm leaving!" She stood up, but made no move to leave. "Aren't you going to stop me Draco?"

Draco, who had his head in one of his hands, and was shaking from silent laughter, looked up. "Why should I stop you? If you want to leave, that's your choice. You do have free will."

"FINE!" Pansy said, and she picked up her bag and stormed out of the hall.  
The girl held out her hand across the table. "I'm Avery Madison."

"Draco," he said shaking her hand.

"So, how are you doing?" she asked sincerely.

"Better, thanks."

"Is she always like that?" Avery asked.

"What, a pain in the butt?" She nodded. "Then yes, always." They both laughed.

When they both stopped laughing, she said, "I'm sorry about your back."

He stiffened. "How did you know about my back?"

"When she hugged you, you stiffened and grimaced."

He smiled. "It's doing better."

"Who's your father?" she asked while taking a bite of her food.

"Lucius Malfoy," he spat. He took a deep breath. "Who's yours?"

"Kegan Black."

"Are you two close?"

"Yeah. Very close. But the weird thing is I don't look like anyone in my family."

"Maybe you were adopted? What about a birth certificate?"

"I asked my parents about that once. You know what happened?"

"What?"

"Nothing. I think they forgot on purpose." She laughed. "Why am I telling you this? I've never told anyone that before."

"Do you feel better now that its off your chest?"

She took a deep breath, and paused. "You know something. I feel a lot better." She smiled and her whole face seemed to light up. "Thank you."

"Your welcome. So, what class do you have first?"

"Defense," she replied.

"Do you like Lupin as a teacher?"

"In my second year, I thought he was the coolest teacher ever, especially after Lockheart. This year, the whole dueling thing is pretty cool. But now I know that he's a werewolf. I know logically that he won't hurt us, because he didn't second year. But there's still that doubt, you know? What about you?"

"A couple months ago, I probably would have said that he was a horrible teacher, but now I'm not so sure. I'm not sure about a lot of things anymore."

"Don't worry. You'll figure them out. What do you have first?"

He checked his schedule. "Double Potions."

"Professor Snape has been acting weird this year. Do you know what's going on with him?"

"I do, but I kinda can't say. He's my godfather, so were very close."

Just then, it seemed like the whole Hall got up. "Looks like it's time to go. It was nice to meet you, Draco. Will you be in the Common Room tonight?" Avery asked, a sly smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes.

"No, I probably won't be for a while."

"Oh," she said. The sparkle in her eyes dimmed, and the smile vanished. "Ok."

"But soon, I promise," Draco said quickly.

Her whole face lit up again. "Promise?"

"Yeah. We'd better get going."

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta HarryEstel for helping me with this fic.

A/N2: Thank you everyone for you incredible reviews! No time for individual (cant spell tonight, sorry) replies, maybe later. What do you think of my OC? I NEVER thought I would be writing one, but don't worry, she's not based on me. PLEASE REVIEW, I want to know what you think! For all of you who wanted a longer chappie, one finally popped itself up. I have no control over the length, only my muse does! lol. But thank you, thank you, thank you! 


	33. Jumping to Conclusions

Chapter Thirty-Two: Jumping to Conclusions

During Potions, Draco paired up with Crabbe. Sev was still stalking around, once again criticizing Slytherins just as much as Gryffindors. The class was shocked when he failed to find anything wrong with Harry and Neville's potion, and was absolutely flabbergasted when he reamed out Pansy and Goyle for their abysmal potion.

After Potions was Defense, to which Draco arrived late, mainly because he just couldn't walk fast enough.

When he entered, Professor Lupin was leaning against the front of his desk. When he noticed Draco, he got a smile on his face. "Draco, it's so good to see you again. I hope you're feeling alright?" Draco nodded.

Lupin motioned to an empty seat in the front that was, uncoincidentally, right next to Harry, and said, "Take a seat." Draco sat. "As I was saying, I hope everyone's studied their shields properly because today we will be going outside to try them out. Let's go!"

The class made their way to the grass in front of Hogwarts. Once there, Lupin had everyone line up. One by one, everyone came before him. They would put up the simple shield, and he would cast a tickling charm at them. Whether or not the charm went through was how well you did that day. The people who were tickled by the charm, Lupin worked with outside while everyone else relaxed and read or worked on homework.

Tired, and not up for making a scene, Draco went down to Sev's rooms. He ordered a small lunch from a house elf and lay down for a nap.

When lunch was almost over, Harry came in. "What are you doing down here?" he asked.

"I was tired." Harry crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. Wanting to defend himself, Draco said, "Classes and walking around are just more draining than I thought they would be."

Harry nodded and sat down on his chair. "Do you think you can make it through Transfiguration and Charms?"

Draco looked indignant. "Of course! I just need a rest."

"Did you eat?"

"Not much, but yeah." The bell rang, and Draco groaned.

"Hey, you said you were up for it!" Harry said.

"I am, but I'll probably be late."

Harry snatched his invisibility cloak. "I'll help you to the entrance hall." He put it over himself, and they walked together to the hall, Draco trying not to too obviously lean on Harry for support. Once there, Harry let Draco go ahead of him, went to a hidden corner, took off the cloak, and made his way to transfiguration.

Harry just barely made it to Transfiguration: Draco was again late. McGonagall looked ready to give detention or take points off, but something seemed to stop her. Perhaps it was that Draco looked like he'd just run a marathon. No matter the reason, she welcomed him back and had him sit down.

Transfiguration passed without incident, as did Charms (unless you count Draco actually arriving on time.)

After dinner, during which Draco once again didn't attend, Harry went down to Sev's rooms. Sev came in shortly after him.

Both entered Sev's room at the same time. Draco was on his bed, and his eyes were closed, but when the door was closed, he opened them and sat up.

"How are you feeling?" Sev asked, putting the back of one of his hands on Draco's forehead to check for a temperature.

"Alright I guess. Just a little worn out."

"Well, that's to be expected. I must say, you did well for a first day back. How was it being with the Slytherins?" Sev asked.

"It felt weird. Like…I don't belong there anymore. I feel like everyone knows that I don't want to be a Death Eater and that everyone is watching every little move I make."

"Is that why you came down here during lunch and dinner, other than you being tired?" Harry asked. Draco nodded.

"Why did Pansy storm out of the hall this morning?" Sev asked.

"Pansy stormed out of the hall this morning?" Harry asked.

Draco nodded, and said, "She was bugging me about where I was. This fourth year got mad at her. It was actually pretty funny."

"Which fourth year?" Sev asked.

"Avery. Avery Black."

"Black!? BLACK?! As in Sirius Black?!" Harry asked, sounding panicked.

Draco held up his hands as though surrendering. "I don't know! Do you Uncle?"

Sev shook his head, looking pensive. He seemed to shake himself out of it and asked Draco,  
"What are you going to do come Christmas break?"

"I don't know. I know that if Lucius somehow makes me go back to the Manor, he'll make me go get…." He stopped and shuddered.

"What happens over Christmas break?" Harry asked.

"Fifth years whose parents are Death Eaters take the Mark, and become initiated. Although this year, it will probably be fifth years and up. Anyone who wants to be Death Eater, but whose parents weren't, presents themselves. They train, and take the mark within the next year or two," Sev explained.

"That's when you got initiated?" Harry asked.

Sev nodded. He crossed his arms and scowled.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked.

"Just thinking about something that happened that year," Sev said through clenched teeth.

"What? What happened?" Harry asked.

For a long time he didn't answer. He finally said to Harry, "Your _godfather_ was supposed to be a Death Eater. Our families have been friends for many generations. We were _supposed _to be best friends."

Goosebumps prickled Harry's arms, and the fine hairs on the back of his neck stood up. "Sirius…A Death Eater…I …don't…"

"I said _supposed_ to be a Death Eater. The Blacks are very heavily into Dark Magic. Everyone in Slytherin was very surprised when he was sorted in to Gryffindor and became best friends with your father. When he refused to become a Death Eater, his father disowned him. If memory serves me right, he moved in with your dad."

"Is that why everyone so quickly jumped to the conclusion that he betrayed my parents? Everyone thought he was a Death Eater?" Sev slowly nodded his head.

"What about Avery…was that her name?" he asked Draco, who nodded. "Could she be Sirius' sister? Could she be into Dark Magic?"

"She said she didn't look anything like her parents. And…she isn't like other Slytherins. I don't think she's into that stuff," Draco said.

"I know the Blacks, and Draco's right, she doesn't look like either of them. Everyone in the staff has always been curious about that. She looks very familiar, but no one can figure out who she looks like. But everyone agrees; she doesn't look like a Black."

"Are they still alive?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes. They're very active Death Eaters."

"Can I go back to my dorm tonight?" Draco asked.

"Do you really think you're ready? I mean, come on, I thought you didn't even like Slytherins!" Harry said.

"Most. I meant I don't like _most_ Slytherins."

"This is about Avery, isn't it?" Harry asked, trying very hard not to laugh.

Draco blushed. "No!"

Harry failed and laughed out loud. "Liar!"

"I don't think you're ready. He's not ready," Sev said first to Draco and then to Harry.

Harry put his head in his hands and said, "Do you promise to take it easy?" Harry brought his head up, and Draco nodded vigorously. Harry sighed. "Alright. Alright. You can sleep in the dorms."

"Hey! That's not fair! I'm the adult, you're the child! The final decision should rest with ME!" Sev exclaimed.

"Quit acting like a petulant child. I'm the one that made sure he got better, not you!"

"Umm…guys…I am sitting right here," Draco said.

"Yes, you can go," Harry said. He shrunk Draco's trunk and gave it to him. "But remember, take it easy."

Draco stuffed his trunk in his pocket. Just as he was about to leave the room, he said sarcastically, "Yes, _dad_."

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta, HarryEstel, for helping me with this fic. She's got several amazing fics you guys should check out.

A/N2: Poor Harry. Sometimes he can be so out of the loop.


	34. Good Graces

Chapter Thirty-three: Good Graces  
  
Draco walked into the Slytherin common room a couple minutes later.  
  
It was almost empty. Sitting in a chair in front of the fire was Avery, and she appeared to be working on an essay.  
  
Draco walked over to her and read it from over her shoulder. It was a Potions essay. He reached over her shoulder and pointed at the paper.  
  
"That's wrong."  
  
She jumped, gasped, and turned around, her eyes wide. When she saw who it was, she let go of her breath and wacked him on the arm.  
  
"Don't do that!"  
  
He laughed and sat down next to her. "Sorry."  
  
She grinned. "Sure you are. Hang on. I thought you wouldn't be able to come down here tonight."  
  
"I didn't think I would be able to either."  
  
"So...How are you, really?"  
  
"I'm good. Kinda tired and sore, but good. How about you?"  
  
"Terrific, now." They both laughed. "How was your first day back?"  
  
"Not too bad. I was late alot, but oh well. How about you?"  
  
"It wasn't my first day back," she said, grinning.  
  
"You know what I mean! How was your day?"  
  
"Good."  
  
"Good. I'm tired. I should probably get to bed."  
  
Suddenly, she leaned in, and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.  
  
He was so stunned, and the kiss was so quick, he had no time to react. And she didn't even have the good graces to look embarrassed!  
  
"Good night," he said. Still dazed, he got up and left.

A/N: I would like to thank my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta for everything she has done for me and for this fic.

A/N2: I'd be guessing you can all guess where this is going. Yes, as of now, they will end up getting together. And, oohh, will there be some twists when it comes to her. I just hope everything I will write will make sense to you. Did the last chappie make sense?

A/N3: Well guys, I'm back home from camp, which is VERY VERY sad for me :( The one good thing is that I can finally do thank yous and replies.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: leggylover03, moni(), starangel2106, Lady Lily3, Scary-Girly, Heart Of The Wizard, jennifer(),

Replies to reviwers:

athenakitty: People aren't really _shocked_ by the change in Sev. They're more confused. Yes, Harry does catch up on sleep...for awhile. Dundundun. As to whether or not Avery is related to Sirius....Well, you'll just have to wait and see.

Padawan Jan-AQ: You'll have to wait and see what's up with the new girl. Harry lets Draco go back because he can trust that he can take care of himself, and he sees that Draco likes Avery and how important going back is to him.

Black Feline: I never noticed that. Thank you for pointing it out.

ciberloco: Sirius hasn't come yet because he's on a mission. I've already written him coming back, but I'll probably end up rewriting it.


	35. Like Teaching a Fish to Swim

Chapter Thirty-four: Like Teaching a Fish to Swim  
  
All of a sudden, the more than two weeks Harry'd spent looking after Draco and Sev came crashing down on Harry. He was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted and drained.  
"I think I want to spend tonight in a bed. Quite the concept," Harry said sarcastically. He got up, shrunk his trunk, and put it in his pocket. When he stood up to look at Sev, his mouth was hanging wide open. "What?"  
  
"Where have you been sleeping?!"  
  
Harry pointed to the chair between the two beds. "There." Sev sputtered, but no sound came out. "Do you see another bed in here?!" he snapped. Sev could only shake his head. "Sorry. I'm just tired," Harry said, rubbing his eyes.  
  
"It's all right. Don't worry about it. Go on. I'll see you tomorrow." Sev said.  
  
Harry tried to smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Good night."  
  
How Harry managed to make his way to the common room, he was never quite able to figure out, but made it up there, he did. When he was through the portrait, the common room was empty, except for two groups: the Quidditch team was huddled around the fire, and Ron and Hermione were whispering in a corner.  
  
Pretending not to see either group, he walked passed them and almost made it to the boys stair case when he heard, "Oy, Harry! We need to talk to you!" Fred said loudly.  
  
Harry groaned, turned around, shuffled over to where they were sitting, and plopped himself down. "Yeah?"  
  
"We voted to have Fred and George be co-captains. We only need your vote to make it offical," Alicia said.  
  
"Sure," Harry said.  
  
"Great! We were thinking about having keeper tryouts on Saturday after lunch. Is that alright?" George asked.  
  
"Sure," Harry repeated. "Look guys, I'm really beat. Can I just go to bed?"  
  
They all nodded. "See you tomorrow then," Katie said. Harry made his way up to the dorm, unshrunk his trunk, and got on to his bed, and fell fast asleep before his head had even hit the pillow.

&&

All that week, Harry was able to sleep in his bed. He couldn't ever remember sleeping better. It was such a relief for him to be able to acutally pay attention in class for the first time this year.  
  
That week, Sev also started up tutoring again, with Dumbledore's permission, of course.  
  
Wednesday, after Transfiguration, Minerva sat down for dinner, and Remus sat next to her.  
  
"How was Harry in your class today?" she asked.  
  
"Incredible! He must have gotten a couple of nights of sleep, or something. I don't think he was even using incantations. Heck, I don't even think he was using his wand! I've never seem someone that age so...in touch...with his magic," Remus responded.  
  
"I know exactly what you mean. It's like I'm trying to teach a fish how to swim!" They both burst out laughing.  
  
Later that night, Harry, Draco, and Sev were relaxing in Sev's living room after finishing a potion.  
  
"Hey Draco?" Harry asked, breaking the easy silence.  
  
"Hhhmmm?"  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"What happened when?"  
  
"Before you...showed...up here at the end of the summer?"  
  
"Ohh." There was a long pause. Harry thought Draco had fallen asleep, until he finally said, "It was late, maybe midnight, or a little earlier. I was reading, when Lucius came in. He looked beyond furious. He took off... his.... his belt...and started...,using...it. He was screaming at me. 'Why did I do it?' he asked. I asked him what he meant, but that only made him madder. I think I might have passed out at some point. I woke up several times, I think. Once, when I woke up, my mother...was standing there. I remember saying, 'Mother, help me.' But she just stood there. I then said, 'Mom, please,' but she wasn't moving. I was getting...scared. I finally said, 'Mommy, please.' And she slapped me, and said, 'You must never show weakness,' and then she left. I don't really know how I managed to make my way here." By the time he was finished, he looked near tears.  
  
Neither Harry nor Sev could say anything for a long time. Sev broke the uncomfortable silence. "Thank you for the truth." Draco just nodded. "I'm going to bed," he said, and left.

A/N:I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta for helping me with this fic.

A/N2: This was originally supposed to be two chapters, but you guys were screaming for me to make my chapters longer, so I made them one.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed:kraeg001, Lady Lily3, Avemtilla, jennifer(), SammyBlack80, leggylover03, WolfDragonDemon(), HecateDeMort,

Replies to reviewers:

Linker27: No plans for Draco to have a relapse. Avery is on the Light side, do you mean, find out about that? They will end up going out, so they will find out everything about eachother.

athenakitty: Draco and Avery have BIG crushes on eachother, and will end up going out. Harry starts playing Quidditch, and thats relaxing for him.

dweem-angel: Not like anything you've ever read? :Authoress blushes: thanks!

AuroraAbbie Snape: Phew, I'm glad you like her!

starangel2106: Yes, I LOVE camp. I'm going through withdrawl. lol. Another phew. I'm glad that made sense!

Ahmad53832: Check your email, and please reply. I'm sorry if that was confusing for you, but if he wants them to call his Severus and trust them, the best way is to use first names, at least for me.


	36. Up for the Challenge

Chapter Thirty-five: Up for the Challenge

Hermione had taken it on herself to make sure Harry and Ron were starting to study for their O.W.Ls. They were very confused by this, seeing as how they were at or past sixth year in Potions, Transfiguration, DADA, and Charms. Nonetheless, they decided to humor her, and studied with her. After all, one did not want to get on the wrathful side of Hermione Granger once she had her mind made up. Not if the said person valued their life and limbs.  
  
Late friday night, they made their way to their dorms. Hermione had made them stay up late and work on homework. It was nearly midnight, so they weren't expecting the rest of the boys in the dorm to still be up and sitting on one of their beds.  
  
"What's going on here?" Harry asked suspiciously.  
  
Neville started sputtering. "Well...we were just...um..."  
  
"We were wondering if you could tutor us," Semus said in one big breath.  
  
"Tutor you in what?!" Harry asked.  
  
"Potions, DADA, Transfiguration, and Charms." Dean said.  
  
"What are you guys talking about?"  
  
"We've seen you. Heck, even Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw have noticed. You're way ahead of us. You don't even use your wand sometimes!" Semus said.  
  
"And you want me to tutor you...why?"  
  
"Hello! We've got O.W.Ls this year. I kinda want to pass them," Neville pleaded.  
  
"Then why not ask Hermione?" Ron asked the boys.  
  
The three boys suddenly refused to meet Ron and Harry's eyes. "Because Harry's ahead of Hermione. Even the other houses have noticed," Dean said softly. He glanced at Harry briefly before looking away again.  
  
"Is it just you three that want me to tutor you?"  
  
The boys began to figit. "Well no," Semus said.  
  
Harry's eyebrows when up. "Ooohh?"  
  
"Fifth year Gryffindor girls want help to," Semus said.  
  
"So do fifth year Ravenclaws," Neville piped up.  
  
"And fifth year Hufflepuffs," said Dean.  
  
Harry's mouth was hanging open. "Are you crazy?! Why not just throw the Slytherins in there for good measure? I'm not a teacher!" He plunked himself down on his bed, and put his head in his hands.  
  
"You're a great teacher, Harry. You're helping me so much in Potions already. I've gotten all my potions nearly right, and I haven't blown up a cualdron yet!" Neville said.  
  
Harry brought his head up, and managed to keep a straight face for a couple of seconds before bursting out into laughter. "No, I guess you haven't, have you?" Harry said while laughing.  
  
The other boys also started laughing. It took a few minutes, but Harry regained his composure. "Give me the weekend to think about it, all right?" The other boys nodded unhappily but they agreed.  
"I'm tired, and I'd like to get to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. Harry said, and crawled into bed.

Harry could barely sleep the whole night. Early that morning, he drowsliy made his way to Sev's quarters, and found him reading a book. Surprise, surprise.  
  
When Sev finally looked up, his eyebrows furrowed. "What's wrong?"  
  
Harry plopped on the couch. "The boys in my year want me to tutor the entire fifth year, minus Slytherin, in DADA, Potions, Transfiguration, and Charms."  
  
"What's wrong with that? I think that's a great idea!" Harry just sank deeper into the couch. "Isn't it?" Sev asked eyeing Harry a bit worriedly.  
  
"Well, yeah, I guess. But I don't know how to teach! And where would I hold the sessions? I need a room with a potions lab and an empty space for everything else."  
  
Sev thought for a couple of seconds before saying, "The Room of Requirement."  
  
"The Room of WHAT?!" Harry asked incredously.  
  
"The Room of Requirement. It's on the fourth floor, but it only works for a person in desperate need of something."

"Do you know, I remember Dumbledore, Fred, and George mentioning something like that during the Yule Ball." Harry said more to himself than to Sev.

"Really? Well, come on, I'll show you!" Sev said, jumping up while Harry begrudingly followed.

Several minutes later, they arrived in front of a blank space of wall.

"This is it? A wall?" Harry asked, completely confused.

Sev chuckled. "No. Pace back and forth. Think of how desperately you need the room, and what you want it to look like."

Harry nodded, and, closing his eyes, he started to pace.  
  
First, he pictured a blank room, and then an imaginary line down the middle. On one side, he pictured a potions lab similar to the one in the dungeons but with a little more light along with fifteen stations, and the walls on that side covered with potions ingredients. He also pictured a blackboard so he could write instructions.

The other side he pictured as being empty, with a soft floor so people could land and not hurt themselves. He pictured those walls as being lined with bookshelves that contained books he might and would probably need.

He suddenly ran smack into something. Looking up, he realized it was Sev. "What?" Harry asked.

Sev turned toward the wall. "Look," he said.

Harry turned. There, right in front of him was a door where there hadn't been before. Knowing Hogwarts though, Harry wasn't in the least bit surprised. He opened the door. The room was exactly how he'd pictured it. He smiled widely. "Thanks, Sev."

"Of course. So, are you up for the challenge?"

"Will you help me?"

"Only a little. I think this is something you are perfectly capable of handling this on your own, for the most part."

"You're probably right. After all, I have had a good teacher."

Sev chuckled lightly. "Yeah, I guess you have."

Just then, Harry realized the time. "Quidditch try outs are starting. I have to go. Bye!" he said before running out of the room.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta for everything she's done to help me with this fic.

A/N2: I would like to dedicate this chapter to shelly101(), my 400 reviewer, as well as to everyother reviewer who made my 402 reviews possible. I love you guys from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. I NEVER, EVER thought I would have that many reviews. I love you guys. So, please, don't forget to make my day and review!!

A/N3: Well, I've arrived at that point in my life, college time. I've moved in to my dorm, and I start classes on Monday. I'm PETRIFIED!!! I know I shouldn't be, but, :sigh: oh well. I don't know if being here has made me more nervous, or less. I don't know how much time I'll have to write while I'm up here, but I've written up to chapter fourty, I just want to space out my updates. I do, however, have time for replies, but I don't know how long that will last.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: jennifer(), starangel2106, WolfDragonDemon(), CarolineXOXO(), SammyBlack80, braveheart(),

Replies to reviewers:

Heart Of The Wizard:: I'm glad this story has gotten you to like Draco.

AuroraAbbie Snape: I'm so glad you like her. I never thought I would have a OC, so I'm glad she's well liked.

shelly101(): My 400th reviewer! I love you! lol

moonlight-katz: I'm glad you found it again!


	37. Another Dangerous Juggling Act

Chapter Thirty-seven: Another Dangerous Juggling Act

Quidditch tryouts went very well, but Ron was by far the best. Ginny decided that she wanted to wait until a chaser postion opened up.

That night was a potions lesson with everyone. Ron was so excited, he came very close to blowing up a cualdron.

The first practice of the season was the next day. The team walked in to the changing rooms for a strategy talk.

Waiting for them, lined up in one neat row, were six Firebolts and a note that said "_From a Friend._"

Everyone was stunned speechless. The chasers were clueless, but the rest of the team knew who they were from.

That night, during a transfiguration lesson with Sev, Draco revealed that he'd also gotten a Firebolt that day. It had come with a card that had said "_From a Friend._"

Sev was keeping annoyingly silent about the whole thing and flat out refuesed to answer them about it, only talking about the Trasfiguration lesson.

However, seven determined teenagers against one grown man is simply no match. Sev eventually broke, and confessed.

That night, when the Gryffindors entered their common room, they found the rest of the fifth year boys and girls huddled together.

Harry took a deep breath, strode over to them, and sat down. They all instantly stopped talking, and looked at Harry, waiting for his answer. "I'll do it," he said simply.

"You will?" Neville asked.

"Yeah. But...you guys have to make sure that no one else finds out about this. Got that?" he said.

"Sure. What ever you want Harry," Lavender said.

"Have everyone meet me on the fourth floor corridor an hour after dinner."

They nodded.

The first lesson went smoothly. Harry had talked it over with Ron and Hermione, who would be acting as his 'assistants,' and decided that each lesson they would learn something different, and that meetings would take place Mondays and Wednesdays after dinner.

Lessons with Sev also started back up. Harry would go by himself after the meetings on Mondays and Wednesdays, Ron, Hermione, and Draco would join him on Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and everyone on Fridays.

If it wasn't for Ron and Hermione, Harry didn't know how he would have been able to juggle all of that, plus quidditch, plus homework. They helped him where they could with his 'club,' and Ron would let him copy his homework if he absolutely ran out of time, much to Hermione's disapproval.

At the beginning of one meeting in early October, Harry walked in to find everyone facing the door, with wide smiles on their faces, making Harry very suspicious.

"What are you guys up to?" he asked.

"Well...." Neville started to say.

"We were thinking we needed a name," Ron finished for him.

"And that name is..."

"The HA," Hermione said proudly.

"Uh-huh. And that stands for..."

"Harry's Army," they all said as one.

Harry's jaw literally dropped. "Are you guys insane!?"

Ron smirked. "Sometimes, yes."

"Is there anyway I could get you to change your minds?" Harry asked, praying the answer would be yes.

He was sorely disappointed when every single person shook their heads.

Harry sighed. "Well, I suppose I don't have a choice, do I?" Everyone shook their heads again. "Fine." Harry sighed. Let's get on with it then..."

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta for everything she's done to help me with this fic.

A/N2: Well, this again was supposed to be two chappies, but I decided to make it one. And could you guys please, please, please, please, please review. I know it sounds like I'm begging, and...I am, I'll admit it. Please review and make my day!!!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed (ya'll rock!): starangel2106, shelly101(), moonlight-katz, jennifer(),

And thanks to everyone who wished me luck: AuroraAbbie Snape, starangel2106,

Good luck to everyone starting college, especially Lauren(), tigersmeleth,

Replies to reviewers:

AuroraAbbie Snape: Harry and Snape do spend alot of time together, I just don't write about specifics. As for Draco...you'll just have to wait and see...muahahahaha.

athenakitty: Yes, Harry's very surprsied. He didn't realize that the other boys had noticed how much his ablities had grown. Snapes already adopted Harry. Thats how he got the protection spells to go to his house, and his name on Harry's. No, the older Slytherins won't want in on tutoring. Something nasty already did happen to the Dursley's: they died. Umbridge isn't in my story, I don't plan on having Fudge die, but I do have something nasty in mind for Lucius.

shadowsylvia: Darn it. Puppy eyes always get me.

HarryPFan001: Don't worry, I've already written Sirius' entrance, and it will be soon.

tigersmeleth: I don't know if I like the idea of him being an auror or teacher better, but this club has a purpose beyond Harry teaching.....muahahahaha. (I seem to be doing that alot).

leggylover03: I think Hermione already knows Harry's ahead of her. He did have alot more time to practice over the summer, and she understands this.

CarolineXOXO(): Yes, mixing the two does produce hydrochloric acid. You don't read quick enough! lol!


	38. Padfoot Returns

Chapter Thirty-eight: Padfoot Returns

The weekend before Halloween, a black dog appeared outside of the apparition boarders of Hogwarts.

This particular black dog was very pleased with himself. He'd finished his mission a week early, and decided to arrive unannouced to surprise his best friend and godson.

He trotted through the grounds in a very good mood. Classes had apparently gotten out, as kids were pouring outside to enjoy the sun while they still could. The attention the black dog was getting was only bouying his good mood.

He padded his way to the DADA professor's office, hoping Moony would be there.

When he arrived, he poked his head in. Sure enough, there he was.

Moony had his legs propped up on the table, and had a book on his thighs, on top of which he was apparently grading papers.

Padfoot got on his stomach and made himself as low to the ground as he possibly could. He inched his way to Moony, trying very hard not to catch the werewolf's eye.

He finally made it under the desk, and waited impatiently for him to move both of his hands away from the paper before he snatched it away form the book.

Remus was so startled, he literally toppled over.

Padfoot changed into Sirius and fell over, he was laughing so hard. He heard Remus get up, and soon felt choked when someone grabbed the scruff of his robes and yanked him from under the desk.

Remus was also laughing hysterically, and pulled his friend into a hug.

"It's so good to see you, Padfoot!!" Moony said, still laughing.

"It's great to see you!"

"But what are you doing here?" Remus asked, sobering up somewhat.

"I finished early, so I decided to surprise you!"

"Well you certainly did a good job of that!"

Sirius laughed, and bent down to pick up the paper Remus had been grading.

"Who's the poor soul whose life you're making miserable?" Sirius asked, laughter still in his voice. He scanned the paper, and put on a mock-professional voice. "Um-hm, um-hm. Very good student, I see. Not one red mark."

Moony suddenly stopped laughing. Padfoot turned to look at him, and found his friend deathly pale. "Give me the paper, Sirius," he said in the sternest voice he possibly could.

Sirius instinctively moved the paper out of Remus' reach. "Why?"

"I'm SERIOUS!" he yelled.

"Well so am I, but I'm not giving you Jack!"

Remus lunged for the paper, but Sirius nimbly moved to the side, causing Remus to roll over his desk and land on the other side.

Sirius snickered, and looked at the name at the top of the paper.

"Umm...Moony, who is this 'Harry Potter-Snape?'" he asked, trying very hard to sound nonchalant.

Remus cursed and managed to pick himself up. "Sirius, please, don't..." he warned.

But Sirius continued as though he hadn't heard Remus. "I mean, I know a Harry Potter, and I know a Severus Snape," he said, spitting out the last name.

"Sirius..."

"But _who_ is this 'Harry Potter-Snape?" Sirius looked at his best friend, and dangerous glint in his eyes. Remus had his head in his hands. "Remus?" He asked, the dangerous glint coming out in his voice.

Remus dropped his hands, and pulled himself upright. "I didn't mean for you to find out this way," he said, his voice barely a whisper, and laced with regret.

Sirius advanced on his friend, until they were face to face. "Find out what, exactly?" he asked, his voice menacingly low.

"I can't tell you," Remus said, his voice reflecting the tears that had yet to show in his eyes.

"Then...who...can?" he asked with barely contained rage.

"Only Harry, Sirius, only Harry. I made a promise," Remus said as tears finally sprung to his eyes.

"And where is my precious god-son?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know. Maybe the library, but..." Remus started to say, but Sirius changed into a black dog and bounded off for the library before Remus could finish what he was saying.

Padfoot reached the library completely out of breath, confused, and upset. Not a good combination.

The black dog trotted up and down the rows of books and study areas, completely oblivious to the 'oohhs,' and 'aahhs,' he was getting.

He finally reached a table in the back where Ron, Hermione, and some blonde boy were sitting.

If Padfoot had been paying the least bit attention to something other than finding Harry, he would have noticed that the blonde boy was Draco Malfoy. He also would have noticed that the entire library was gossiping as to why said Draco Malfoy was having a polite conversation and studying with Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, and why Harry Potter was not there with them.

But Padfoot neither heard nor saw any of this. When he reached the table, he grabbed the cuff of Hermione's sleeve, and began pulling on it.

"Snuffles! What are you doing here?" Hermione asked. But Padfoot only tugged harder.

"I think he wants you to go with him," the blonde boy said.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other, nodded, and got up. Padfoot let go, and ran at full speed to Remus' office. He lost Ron and Hermione several times because he was running so fast, so he had to backtrack and find them again.

When they reached Remus' office, Padfoot changed back into Sirius and rounded on Hermione and Ron.

"Where's Harry?!" he asked.

Their shoulders sagged. Hermione turned to Remus. "He doesn't know?" Remus shook his head. "Then we'll go get him for you," Hermione said.

"We will?" Ron asked.

"Is he here in the castle?" Sirius asked.

"Yes Ron we will. And no, he isn't."

Sirius nodded. "Then yes, please go get him."

Hermione nodded. She pulled out a small pouch from inside her robes, opened it, and offered some to Ron. Ron pulled a face, as though what ever was in the pouch was something ugly, but he did take some out. Whatever Sirius was expecting, Floo powder was not it. Ron threw it into the fireplace, and without saying his destination, stepped in. Hermione followed in suit.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta HarryEstel for helping me with this fic!

A/N2: Well, I'm officially 18-Happy birthday to me!-and I'm sick with strep throat. Happy birth day to me! (yeah, right) I think my roomies did have something planned for me, but that was before I got strep. One of the joys of living in the dorms. (Right up there with the showers). Geez, why am I being so sarcastic? Sorry guys. Well, I hope you enjoyed the first bit with Sirius. It was quite fun to think of and write. Please, don't forget to review!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: starangel2106, shelly101(), WolfDragonDemon(), AuroraAbbie Snape, HecateDeMort, SammyBlack80, JENNIFER(),

Replies to reviewers:

athenakitty: Nope, it was Sev who bought the firebolts. Do you remember, during Harry's bday, when Sev was so dissappointed that the Weasley's wouldn't take them? (ch16) My form of foreshadowing. I do alot of it, in my own little way, but I don't think anyone sees it yet, b/c I haven't written whats being foreshadowed. Oh, yes, the Dursley's died in a gruesome way (ch 9) I've got a good plan for how Lucius and alot of Death Eaters to die, but you will have to wait a LONG time for me to get there. Not quite sure yet to do with the other two. Sirius' name isn't cleared yet-I've kinda got an idea for that too. I can't resist puppy dog eyes. lol Nope don't mind the spelling corrections. This was typed directly on to doc. manager, so no spell check.

tigersmeleth: DA, HA well, you guys get it, right. And the last bit goes back to what I rememeber saying before: I like to leave alot open for you guys to let your imagination wonder. That is exactly how I saw him as well.

Lady Lily3: I've got some long ones, and short ones lined up. Sorry!

moonlight-katz: Hs, like College, i'm sure, is what you make of it, and the classes you take. I didn't take any honors or AP (I did take one easy ap my sr. year) classes so I had an easy time of it. Do take aps if you can though, and cut down on college classes.

Amanda Lily Potter: UMM ice cream. Not nice. lol

ChevyCowGirl54: My story really took three hours? I've stayed up all night before, its good fun. Interesting idea for the floo. I don't plan on having any more incidents (?) involving it, but if I do, I'll keep your idea in mind. Oh, yes, I do plan on killing Pansy off, same time as I plan on killing off Lucius, no worries. :Snicker, snicker: Did I just give too much away? OOPPS. Yes, I do have a plan on keeping the Dark Mark away from Draco. And the mask will completely (?) drop soon. And I've got some really good angst coming up in a couple chappies. I'm not a big fan of cutting, so it won't be making an appearance in my story. I'm glad to see that you were thinking though. Thanks!

Heart Of The Wizard: I'd wanna join too!

leggylover03: Your wish is my command. lol


	39. Learning to See in the Dark

Chapter Thirty-nine: Learning to See in the Dark 

Right after classes on the Friday before Halloween, Sev and Harry left for Snape Manor. Sev could see Harry was beginning to become physically drained again, and he thought a weekend of rest would be good for him.

When they arrived, they both plopped themselves on a couch in the living room to read, but Harry quickly fell asleep. Sev repositioned Harry so that his head was in his lap, and continued to read.

He was extremely surprised when Ron appeared in his fireplace, but wasn't all that surprised when Hermione arrived mere seconds later.

"You guys have to come back to Hogwarts with us!" Hermione said the second she stepped out of the fireplace.

"Why? What's the rush? You know I brought Harry here to rest," Sev said, trying to keep his voice down.

"Yeah, but Sirius is at Hogwarts," Ron said, stepping up next to Hermione.

"I thought he wasn't coming until Halloween!"

"Change of plans. But you really need to wake Harry up! Sirius is pretty mad. I think he suspects something is going on," Hermione said.

Sev sighed. Waking Harry up was the last thing he wanted to do, but he knew it had to be done. He gently shook Harry and called his name, until he woke up.

"What's going on," Harry asked, still not fully awake.

"Sirius is at Hogwarts!" Hermione repeated.

Harry sat bolt upright, all fatigue forgotten. "Does he know?"

"I don't think he knows everything, but you have to go there, and NOW!"

"Where is he?" Harry asked.

"Lupin's office," Ron said.

Harry jumped up and turned around, facing Sev. "Give me your wand," he said, holding out his hand.

Sev was shocked. "What? Why?!"

"Just until you and Sirius can work yourselves out."

"I am perfectly willing to strike a truce with him. But will he be as willing to strike one with me?"

"I don't honestly know. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess." Sev pulled out his wand and handed it to Harry, who strode to the fireplace, threw in some Floo powder, and said, "Hogwarts, Professor Lupin's office," and disappeared.

Sev, Ron, and Hermione followed in suit.

&&&

When Sirius saw Harry appear in the fireplace, all the tension from earlier in the day melted away. He was beyond relived to see his godson. They walked toward eachother and hugged.

Sirius pulled out first and studied Harry's face. "Are you alright? You look tired."

"I'm fine. I've just been busy, that's all." Remus started laughing at that.

Sirius turned around. "And _why_ is that funny?"

Remus immediately sobered up. "No reason."

Sirius shot his best friend a look that quite clearly said, "I don't believe you," but he turned to Harry rather than get into a petty fight with his friend. "Harry, you need to tell me the truth. Why is Snape's name attatched to yours?"

"Its a long story. Are you sure you want to hear it now?"

"Yes. Of course I'm sure," Sirius said, trying not to let his insecurities show.

"Then I would like you to meet my _adopitive_ dad, Severus Snape," Harry said, and held his hand out behind him, right to where Snape was standing.

Quicker than lighting, Sirius pulled his wand out of his robes, and pointed it at Snape, ready to curse him into the next millenium.

But Harry was quicker. Before Sirius could do anything, he yanked the wand out from Sirius' hand.

"Would you please just listen to what I have to say?" Harry asked. Noting the hurt in Harry's voice, Sirius nodded, and sat down, shooting death glares at Snape the whole time.

Harry pulled up a chair in front of Sirius, and told him what happened over the summer. Several times, Sirius was ready to get up and strangle Snape. When Harry got to the part about the actual adoption, Sirius DID get out of his chair to strangle Snape, and it took everyone else in the room to restain him.

&

What Sirius didn't know, was that Harry didn't mention Draco at all, which was probably a good thing. Harry also skipped over the part of the summer when Sev was betrayed. Now was neither the time nor the place to get into that.

When Harry was finished, he said, "I'm not asking you two to be friends, I'm not even asking you to like eachother. I'm just asking that you both do what you did at the end of last year: come to some sort of truce. Can you please do that, for me?"

Sirius looked at Sev, and back at Harry again. Sirius nodded.

Everyone in the room let go of their breath.

Sev slowly walked over to where Harry and Sirius were sitting, and held out his hand for Sirius to shake. "I'm Severus. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Sirius shook Sev's hand.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my sis, my sam, and my beta HarryEstel who has many incredible stories you should read.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: monica85, Geloalto, Aqua Mage, moonlight-katz, heala, beauty78900102(), WolfDragonDemon(), xdarkdreamer, Fangfoot, HecateDeMort, MuShU gIrL

Replies to Reviewers:

Lady Lily3, Amanda Lily Potter, madscientistsuz : Does this chappie answer your questions?

starangel2106, Aqua Mage, AuroraAbbie Snape,ClaireRickman : Thanks! Bday and get well wishes are much liked.

HarryPFan001: No one's too 'dimwitted!' Please don't ever think that. But the same goes for you. If you have any ideas, maybe you could email them to me. I'm itching to come up with a new slant to the HP world in my head, so you'd really be doing me a favor.

leggylover03: In four or five chappies, depending on how you look at it, there will be MUCH ansgt, and HUGE HUGE cliffies. Just warning you now.

ClaireRickman: Good luck at Uni yourself! And yes, I am.

FuFuMira: She's not blood related to the Blacks.


	40. Interesting Revelations

Chapter Forty: Interesting Revelations

Sirius remained at Hogwarts, which Harry was very pleased about. They somehow found time in Harry's insanely busy schedule for some time together.

Halloween dawned to find Harry in a very depressed mood. He hated Halloween. It was the day his parents died. It was very hard to be in a festive mood on that day. It also seemed like Halloween brought bad luck. First year, it was the troll......It never seemed to end.

Harry vaguely remembered someone mentioning that at the end of seventh year, everyone got a 'yearbook.' Harry somehow found his way to the library after lunch, and went hunting for old yearbooks.

After what felt like an hour of searching, he finally found them. He located his parents year, and settled himself in a comfy chair.

Toward the middle, he found the 'cutest couples' page. For Gryffindor, the cutest couple was Lily Evans and James Potter. The picture made Harry smile. They were laughing, hugging, pecking eachother on the cheek, everything he always pictured them doing.

His eyes wondered to the other couples, and stopped on the Slytherin couple. They looked familiar, but he just couldn't place from where. And then he noticed the guy's last name, 'Madison.'

Suddenly, it clicked. After checking out the book, he used a secret passageway/shortcut to get to Sev's rooms.

Sev was asleep on the couch, but in a very uncomfortable position. It looked as though he'd fallen asleep sitting up, because only his chest was lying on the couch. His feet were still planted on the floor.

Harry gently shook the sleeping man, and said his name. He brought his feet up to the couch, and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Just five more minutes, mom." Harry tired very hard not to laugh, and instead shook Sev harder. Sev finally opened his eyes to look at Harry. He tried to scowl, but was too tired to do it properly. "Why did you wake me up so early," he slurred.

"Sev, its after lunch," Harry said.

"Is it?"

Harry sighed impatiently. "Come on, sit up. There's something I really need to show you!"

Sev just wiggled as though to bury himself deeper under the covers. "Can't..." he muttered something, and then said, "sleep."

Harry laughed, and then said, "Come on, I'm serious. It's about Avery."

"What about Avery?" he slurred.

"If you sit up, we'll go to Dumbledore, and I'll tell you," Harry said.

They flooed up to Dumbledore's office, and sat down.

"What is it you wanted to tell me?" he asked.

Harry opened the yearbook to the proper page and handed it to Dumbledore. "Are those Avery's parents?"

"Of course!" Dumbledore said, handing the yearbook back.

Sev sat up strait, all traces of sleep forgotten. "Who?"

Harry handed him the yearbook. "I rememeber them! They were in my year. I think they became Death Eaters," Sev said.

"But, if they're her parents, why is her last name Black?" Harry asked.

"I think they died," Sev said.

Both Sev and Harry turned to Dumbledore for confirmation. "Yes, they did die. And yes, they were Death Eaters. I'm afraid they were killed by Aurors only a couple of days before Voldemort's," Sev flintched, "defeat. The Blacks, Sirius' parents, adopted her. As far as I know, she doesn't know she was adopted."

"I think she should. Sirius should know that he has a sister, and she should know she has a brother, even if it isn't by blood," Harry said.

Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, Harry, I do believe you're right. I'll call both of them up here now."

A/N:I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta for helping me with this fic. She's got some great stories you guys should read!

A/N2: I hope this made sense to everyone. If it didn't, let me know in a review, or an email, and I'll explain it to you.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: Lady Lily3, AuroraAbbie Snape, jennifer(), beauty78900102(), moonlight-katz, shelly101(), Fangfoot, GhostMagic19,

Replies to reviewers:

HecateDeMort: Dang, you're fast!! You reviewed in five minutes! I think you even beat starangel2106 at his/her fastest! lol.

,00,(): Maybe the truce won't keep. I honestly don't know. But the only reason he's making the truce is for Harry, so that's reason for him to keep it.

FuFuMira: Don't be sorry about the question. When I got it, at first I almost gave myself a heart attack, and then I realized they weren't really related. lol

starangel2106: That's so sweet of you. You're the only one who realized that I didn't say how I was. I didn't say how I was. Yes, I'm much better, thank you.

leggylover03: Don't worry, Snape will comfort him.

Claire(): Yeah, Snape probably did give in too soon, but I wanted to get the story rolling. All Death Eaters are afraid of this name....Hell, almost everyone's afraid of his name.

ClaireRickman: Sorry to disappoint. I'm not much for writing fight scenes. And they won't get too friendly, don't worry.

opal(): Sirius finds out soon. And they aren't living with Sev anymore, they're in their own dorms. Just don't want you to be confused.

Avemtilla: I've missed your scenes. Qute one.


	41. A Fish Out of Water

Chapter Forty-One: A Fish Out of Water

Later that night, Harry and Sirius were talking about the meeting that day. Poor Avery left stunned speechless. But, who could blame her? After all, that was a lot to take in. Not only did she find out that the people she concidered to be her parents were not, but she had a brother who her parents hated. Before she left though, she did give Sirius a hug.

They had just finished discussing the ramifications of the meeting and had moved on to a lighter subject when Draco ran into the room and slammed the door shut. He was out of breath and terrified. He slowly slid down the door, and began hyperventilating.

His eyes locked on Harry's. "They're gonna kill me...I know it...They're gonna....They're...."

Harry was at Draco's side quicker then lighting. "What are you talking about?"

"Pansy. She....She cornered me....She threatened me....I....I barely made it away.....I knew...you would be here...I think...I think...."

"Draco, you really need to calm down." Without even realizing what he was doing, he conjured a small brown paper bag, and handed it to Draco. "Breathe slowly into this."

Draco did as he was told, and was soon much calmer. "Now, start from the top. What exactly happened?"

"I was going to go to the library. I saw Pansy walking toward me, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. They forced me into a classroom. I barely got away. They know. They know I don't want to be a Death Eater, and that I'm on the Light side. I don't know how they know, but they do. I'm scared, Harry. I'm scared for my life!"

Harry sighed, remembering why he hated Halloween. He helped Draco up and over to the seat, absently conjuring a new one for himself. He turned to look at Sirius, who was staring at Draco in absolute horror. Draco followed Harry's gaze, and met Sirius'.

"Hello Mr. Black."

Sirius' mouth opened and closed many times, making him look very much like a fish out of water. He moved his eyes to look at Harry.

"You can trust him. You heard him. He's not gonna be a Death Eater. And he won't run and tell Lucius anything," Harry responded to the inevidable, unasked questions.

Sirius looked back and forth between the two teens before nodding.

Harry let out breath he didn't know he was holding.

"But Harry, what am I going to do? I can't...I don't feel safe being by myself with the Slytherins!" Draco said.

"Could you be resorted?" Harry asked.

"To what house? Certainly not Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. And I'm not studious enough to belong in Ravenclaw."

After a couple minutes of thinking, Harry said, "Why don't you guard him, Sirius?"

"Why don't I do what?"

"You know, as Padfoot."

"What, like a bodyguard?"

"Well....yeah."

"Oh, no, no, no. I am no one's bodyguard!"

"But as Padfoot, no one will know who you are. Draco needs someone to always watch his back, and you're the only one who is capable of doing that."

"Can I have a couple of days to think about it?"

"Draco doesn't have 'a couple of days!'"

"Students aren't allowed to have dogs as pets," Sirius said, scambling to come up with any reason to get out of guard duty.

"I'm quite sure Dumbledore would make an exception."

Sirius sighed, and turned to Draco. "Do you like big, black dogs?"

Draco nodded, "Yes."

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Nope. Not unless Dumbledore or Sev can come up with something else."

"I might as well get started. Come on Draco," he said in a defeated tone of voice.

At the same time, Harry and Draco said, "Thank you, Sirius."

He muttered something unintelligable before turning into a dog.

Before they left, Harry said to Draco, "And remember, his name's Snuffles."

Draco raised an eyebrow at the unusual name, but didn't say anything.

Draco led the way down to Sev's quarters. He didn't even bother whispering the password, saying it loudly enough for Padfoot to hear. When they entered, Sev wasn't on his couch reading. Draco checked the potions lab, which he was in.

He glanced up, before turning back to his potion. "What's up Draco?"

Even though he was busy working on his potion, he was still listening attentively. When Draco reached the part about Sirius watching over him, Sev glanced at the dog, who was by now lying on the gound, his head on his front paws.

"I'd be guessing your not too happy with this arrangement, Black?" Sev asked, turing back to his potion.

Sirius made a noise in his throat that really didn't answer Sev's question one way or the other. "And what if it was Harry in Draco's shoes? I'm quite sure you'd be more than willing to help him out then!"

Padfoot just glared at Sev. He knew the man was right, but he wasn't _about_ to admit that to him.

Both Sev and Draco rolled their eyes. "Thank you for letting me know. I'll infrom Dumbledore when I'm through with this potion."

Draco nodded and left for the Slytherin Common Room, Padfoot on his heels.

When Draco and Padfoot entered the common room, every one turned to stare at them, half with confusion, and half with anger.

Avery ran up to Draco, and put her hands on his face, as though checking for injuries. Finding none, she let go of her breathe and stepped close to him for a hug. "I was so worried about you," she whispered.

"Why? What happened? No, don't answer that in here. Let's take a walk," Draco said. She pulled out of the embrace, and nodded.

They walked for a ways, and in hand. Padfoot was slightly behind them, giving them some space.

"So, what happened?" he asked while walking.

"I was sitting in the common room near Pansy the bi-Uuhhgg, she makes me so mad…and I heard her say your name, so I stopped working and listened. I heard them say they were going to go looking for you, and that you were going to pay, and if you wouldn't listen to the 'voice of reason' they were going to…." But she couldn't quite get the last words out, as she was getting choked up.

"You don't have to say it. I have a pretty good idea where you're going with that thought. But that's why I have Snuffles watching over me."

She turned her head to glance at the big black dog, and then shot Draco a quizzical look. "He's not a real dog, is he?"

Draco leaned in, and whispered in her ear, "He's Sirius, but you can't breathe a word about that!" and pulled away.

Her eyes got wide, and she ran down to give the dog a hug. "Thank you," she whispered. Padfoot proceeded to lick her face. She giggled. "I'd take that as a 'your welcome?" she said. The dog nodded. She kissed him on the top of his head, before catching up to Draco.

They wondered around the castle for the rest of the night, hand in hand, just talking.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta, HarryEstel for everything she's done to help me with this fic!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: beauty78900102(), HecateDeMort, GhostMagic19, jennifer(), WolfDragonDemon(), jbfritz,

Replies to reviewers:

athenakitty: Tell him what? What am I missing here?

starangel2106: I know I'm silly. HarryEstel.

Avemtilla: Dun, Dun, Dun. Yes, Voldy will die...eventually.

AuroraAbbie Snape: Thanks much! I'm glad to know someone reads them.

leggylover03: There will be sweet moments, but not before some MAJOR angst! mwahaha.

Lady Lily3, moonlight-katz, Dragonstorm316,: Long enough for you?

Beth5572: You're gonna have a long time to wait. I was originally gonna end it when school ended, but I came up with a plot twist, or I realized what should have happened in the first place, so now _I_ don't even know how this is gonna end. But I know where it's going.

SammyBlack80, HarryPFan001 : Its no big, just thank you for reviewing when you could.

opal(): What had you confused?

jbfritz: You might be right, I just know what I saw on the web site.

Jewel(): You're psychic! lol


	42. Moony and Padfoot Revealed

Chapter Forty-Two: Moony and Padfoot Revealed 

Later the next night was a short Potions lesson with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Ginny, Fred, and George, or the 'summer crew' as they had come to be thought of by Sev.

Draco entered with Padfoot, who immediately curled himself around Harry's feet. Harry reached down to rub his head, and was rewarded with a lick to said hand. Harry just rolled his eyes.

"Oy, Harry, who's the cute dog?" Fred asked upon noticing Padfoot.

"His names Snuffles, and he's guarding Draco to make sure nasty Slytherins don't pounce on him," Harry answered.

"Or kill me," Draco muttered under his breath.

"Yeah, we heard. Sorry mate," George said.

"I saw it coming. It's no big," Draco said, but his voice and body language clearly betrayed his real thoughts; the betrayal hurt.

Towards the middle of making the potion, when it needed a couple minutes to sit, Draco asked Harry if they could talk in Sev's living room. Harry looked at Draco curiously but nodded.

When they were sitting, Draco asked, "Is Snuffles usually a depressed person?"

Harry shook his head. "Not usually, I don't think. Why?"

"He just doesn't seem like a very happy dog, that's all. You've always described him as the trouble-maker, the prankster, the funny one. I'm just afraid that something's bothering him."

"Maybe we can go to the DADA office after the lesson. I'm sure Professor Lupin will be in there. He'll figure something out."

Draco nodded, and let out a big breath. "Thanks, Harry. I feel better already."

"It's no problem. Thanks for asking."

At that point, it was time to go back to finish their potions, so they got up to do just that.

After the Potions lesson, while the Gryffindors were walking back to their common room, Fred and George hung behind the rest of the group and were whispering conspiratorially.

Ron must have been thinking the same things as Harry, because he leaned over and whispered, "That's _never_ a good sign."

"My thoughts exactly," Harry whispered back.

When they reached the common room, before Harry could go anywhere, Fred asked, "Harry, could we borrow the map?"

By now, Harry's mind had gone off in so many directions, he'd nearly forgotten about them whispering. He nodded, went to his dormitory, and grabbed his books and the map.

He handed the twins the map, and was settling down to start on homework, when they came rushing over to him, pointing excitedly at the DADA office.

"It's Moony and Padfoot! It's Moony and Padfoot!" George said. People trying to study near by looked up.

"SSSHH! Let me see," Harry said much quieter than the twins. They handed him the map. Harry groaned. Sure enough, the twins were right.

"You know who they are, don't you?" Fred asked.

Harry just nodded.

"Can we meet them?" George asked.

The both of them looked as though the rest of Christmas and their birthdays for the rest of their lives had come early. How could Harry say no to looks like those?

He sighed. "All right. BUT, if they say you can't meet them, end of story. I'll take the map back, and I don't want you two trying to figure out who they are. If they say no, the subject WILL be dropped, got that?"

The twins nodded, knowing better than to mess with Harry when his mind was made up.

They left, and in no time, reached the DADA classroom. "Wait out here, and if they do say you can meet them, what ever you do, _don't mention Wormtail,_ or I will personally see to it that some teacher in this school puts you in detention for the rest of the year, got it!" Harry whispered.

They gulped, and nodded.

Harry entered, unconsciously casting a silencing charm around the room.

"Hey Harry, what's wrong?" Sirius asked.

"Well, after Potions, the twins were acting weird. They asked to see the map, and I wasn't thinking, and….well…they kinda know that Moony and Padfoot are in here," Harry said.

"It was bound to happen eventually," Moony said.

"So can they meet you guys?" Harry asked, trying not to get his hopes up.

"Hogwarts next generation of pranksters? Of course! But, they'll have to meet me as Padfoot, not Sirius. Too many people already know about me," Sirius said.

"You can trust them. They still haven't told anyone that I gave them my Triwizard winnings," Harry said.

"You did what?" Moony said.

At the same time, Sirius asked, "Why?"

"Well, I figured I had enough in my vault from what my parents gave me, and plus I should only have gotten five hundred, not the full thousand, and after what had happened, I just couldn't keep it," Harry said in one big breath.

Even though Harry didn't say it out loud, Moony and Padfoot both could tell by what Harry had just said that he still felt an incredible amount of guilt.

Rather than press the issue, Padfoot said, "Why don't you bring them in," and he changed into the big shaggy dog.

Harry nodded, and opened the door, allowing the twins to come in. They looked around the room, glancing right over their professor and the dog.

"Where are they Harry?" Fred asked.

George got out the map and opened it up. "Yeah, it says they're still in here!"

Moony was trying very hard and rather unsuccessfully not to laugh.

"What's so funny professor?" Fred asked.

"Werewolf….Moony…get it yet?"

Their mouths dropped open. "No way," George said in unadulterated astonishment.

"Yes way."

"You, the best DADA teacher Hogwarts has ever seen, also a member of the best group of pranksters Hogwarts has ever the seen???" Fred asked.

"Well, I have grown up. Just a tad."

The twins rushed forward, and grabbed one of his hands in all four of theirs and began shaking it. "We would be so honoured if you would teach us all that you know," George said.

Moony cleared his throat and pulled his hand away. "Now, as your professor, that is not something I can do. However, I'm sure some day Padfoot would be more than happy to."

They turned their heads and for what seemed like the first time, noticed the dog sitting in the chair.

"Snuffles? You're Padfoot?" Fred asked.

The dog nodded. The twins put their hands on their hips in mock sternness; much like Harry had seen Mrs. Weasley do whenever she gets mad for real.

"Who are you really?" George asked.

"Much too inquisitive for their own good. But I suppose that's part of the territory of being a good prankster," Moony said to Padfoot, who nodded vigorously. Moony turned to the waiting boys. "I'm sorry, but we can't tell you that yet. For now, you'll just have to know him as 'Padfoot.'"

This must have been good enough for them, for they took one of Padfoot's paws into all four of theirs, much like they had done with the professor, and shook it enthusiastically. "Pleased to meet you, Padfoot. It really is an honour," Fred said.

When they were done shaking his paw, they stood up, and George asked, "So who is Prongs?"

"Was. My dad was a stag," Harry said.

The twin's jaws dropped yet again. "So we did give the map to the right person," Fred said in awe. Harry shrugged and nodded. They shook his hand the same way they'd shook Moony's.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Prongs Jr," George said. Harry blushed, but Moony laughed. Padfoot tried to laugh, but it just sounded wrong coming from a dog.

Harry had to drag the twins out so that Moony and Padfoot could continue to talk.

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta HarryEstel for everything she's done for my fic and me.

A/N2: I never, in a million lifetimes, thought this would happen. I HAVE 500 REVIEWS!!! This chappie is dedicated to shelly101(), who was also my 400th reviewer! Thank you everyone whos made every one of those 500 reviews!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed (and to past reviews that made my 500 possible): Aqua Mage, starangel2106, HarryPFan001, jennifer(), beauty78900102(), SammyBlack80,

Replies to reviewers:

Lady Lily3: Theres a REALLY short one coming up next, sorry.

HecateDeMort: Does who know what yet?

white-blaze-dragon: Yes, I love the penname, and yes I am honored. Thank you!

Avemtilla: OOHH, I love it! And don't worry, Pansy will pay.

tigersmeleth: Thank you! I based her on a friend of mine, so I always send her the chapters before I post them. I don't think I'll be doing weekly updates. My muse is acting funny. I've written up to Christmas, and I have an idea for V-day. I'm debating whether or not to just jump to there, or come up with something. :sigh: Oh well.

athenakitty: Yes, Sirius is happy to have a sister. Lol, no Sirius won't get a collar. He's a well trained dog. lol. Even if Sirius had been close to his parents (which he's not, he moved to James before 5th year) They wouldn't have had time to tell him-he got thrown in Azkaban a couple days later.

honeymail: Wow, I'm impressed. How long did it take you?

Dragonstorm316: Yeah, I am pretty twisted. lol. Poor Sirius, though.

Chainmailgrl: I nearly missed being able to put this review in these thank yous!


	43. From the Frying Pan to the Fire

Chapter Forty-Three: From the Frying Pan to the Fire

The first Quidditch match was to take place the Friday after Halloween between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Both Harry and Draco were getting more and more nervous as the week wore on. Both teams were excellent, but Gryffindor did have superior brooms.

The night before the match, Harry found himself in the midst of yet another vision. It was a basic meeting, and only a couple _cruciatus_es were given. Even though he'd long ago taught himself how to channel the pain through the sword, it still hurt somewhat.

The strange thing about this meeting was that as the Death Eaters were apparating away, Voldemort pulled Lucius aside. Voldemort appeared to be doing all the talking and Lucius all the nodding, but Harry was too far away to hear what was being said. What ever it was, he didn't get a good feeling from it. Voldemort handed Lucius a small box. With one final nod, Lucius also apparated. When he woke up, he pulled a bottle of nerve-healing potion from his bed side stand and downed it before falling into a dreamless sleep for the rest of the night.

The morning of the match dawned beautifully, with neither a cloud in the sky nor a breeze in the air. Perfect conditions for Quidditch. After a small breakfast (Harry never could eat properly before a match) he took a shortcut to Sev's rooms. Upon entering, he was grateful to see that he wasn't sitting in the living room. He snuck across and carefully opened the door to his room. Once inside, he laid the sword on his bed. He knew that what he was doing was very, _very_ wrong. Sev had told him time, and time again to never take the sword off, but Harry always felt slightly off balance whenever he got on his broom wearing the sword, even if the broom was a Firebolt. And Harry was not prepared to take that chance, especially during the first game against Slytherin. He prayed Sev wouldn't find out, and if he did, find it in his heart to forgive him.

Harry and Draco wanted to get to their changing rooms early, so they decided to walk together. When they'd almost reached the pitch, they spotted someone who looked way too much like Lucius from the back. Harry tried every spell he could think of to make sure he wasn't covered by an illusion, under the _imperious_, or anything else like that. No such luck. Lucius Malfoy would be watching the game.

He soon found himself in the air: the match had started.

Draco immediately asked, "Going to be training for the ballet this time, Potter?" He was obviously trying to sound menacing, but he just couldn't with a playful smirk on his face.

Harry pointed to some imaginary spot next to Draco's face, and tried to look scared. "Oh, no! The snitch is right next to your face! Hurry Draco, catch it before I do!"

Draco rolled his eyes, before imitating getting the chills. "Do you feel that? Dementors?" He put his hand to his forehead to mimic feinting.

Harry looked down, and said in a mock-terrifying voice, "It's Professor Moody come back to turn you into a ferret!" Draco tipped the broom so far down, gravity grabbed a hold before he could, and he soon found himself tumbling downwards, before finally maintaining control. Everyone in the stands burst into hysterics.

When Draco finally got level with Harry, he said, "Enough teasing, let's do our job."

"Good idea."

They went to different sides of the pitch, both on the careful look out for the elusive snitch. Harry was only vaguely aware of the game going on around him, but he could tell it was definitely staring to heat up.

The two teams were tied for the longest time….Gryffindor ahead by ten….forty….before Harry knew it, they were up by 100, but the Slytherins were becoming brutal, and dealing many low blows.

Suddenly, he spotted it near the ground. Without a second thought, he sped after it. From the corner of his eye, he could tell Draco and he were neck and neck. They were going to touch it at the same time. But that didn't matter to Harry. Even if they did, Gryffindor would still win.

They came closer….and closer….still neck and neck….closer….they touched it at the same time. Harry was ecstatic! Gryffindor had won!

But then he felt that horrible sensation. The one that always reminded him of _that night_. The snitch had been turned into a portkey, and it was sucking both Harry and Draco in.

A/N: I would like to thank my incredible bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta HarryEstel for everything she's done for me and this fic!

A/N2: MUAHAHA! I'm EVIL! Don't worry, I have the next several chappie written and waiting to be posted. Don't forget to review (hint, hint) ;)

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: Heart Of The Wizard, starangel2106, jennifer(), beauty78900102(), leggylover03, HecateDeMort, Lady Lily3, Lili Stalder , white-blaze-dragon,SammyBlack80,

Replies to reviewers:

Linker27: I'm sure they will eventually...sooner rather than later. I just don't have that planned yet.

tigersmeleth:Thanks for the encouragment!

AuroraAbbie Snape: You probably won't see Avery and Sirius doing much bonding. It is implied b/c Draco's always w/Sirius, and Avery's always with Draco. As for Sirius being depressed, he's better now that he's talked with Lupin, and that was also a way to get them in a room together.

shelly101(): I dedicated chappie 36 to you as well!

Avemtilla: Gotta love it! Can't wait to see what you do to Pansy!

opal(): Good point, but that was more of a snickering. Sorry I didn't make that clear.

Star Girl11 : I'm impressed!

Chainmailgrl: What I mean is that your review barely made it to be put on to that chappie.


	44. Walking Through the Fire

Chapter Forty-Four: Walking Through the Fire

Pandemonium erupted around him, but Lucius just couldn't register it. Draco had been sucked in along with Potter. How had that happened? HOW!

He stood up abruptly and started to make his way to past the appartion point. What the Dark Lord had said the night before had been wrong. It just had to be. The Dark Lord was just being paranoid. He just didn't want a repeat of what had happened during his resurrection.

Lucius thought back to the conversation. The Dark Lord had said that if more than one person touched the portkey/snitch, they would be linked while they were in the Dark Lord's… _care_. Whatever happened to one would happen to the other. As long as both were there. If one of them somehow left, the other would instantly be transported back to where they had touched the portkey. The Dark Lord somehow knew someone else would touch the snitch, and he knew it could only be Draco. Or maybe the Dark Lord really was only paranoid.

But Lucius wasn't a stupid man: he knew what would happen. If Lucuis rescued Draco, he would have his son back, but Potter would be safe on Hogwarts grounds. If he left his son, he would surely die. But then again, so would Potter. Could he make that choice? Could he allow his son to die so that Potter could also die?

A small voice in the back of his head said _yes_.

Lucius stopped. Was the voice right? Could he allow his son to die?

Yes. He could. Narcissa was young. They would just have to do what they hadn't done in fifteen years: actually try to make a baby.

Draco would die, but his _wife_ would be pregnant long before that would happen. The Dark Lord wouldn't let them die for a long time yet.

Lucius would have his heir. He would make sure of it.

&&&

Severus stood in Dumbledore's office, watching the old man pace. "Where do the meetings take place Severus?"

"I'm telling you headmaster, I don't know. We only apparate there when we get summoned. He's never told us where we apparate to."

"Who knows where you apparate to?"

"Only Lucius and Pettigrew, other then the Dark Lord, obviously."

Dumbledore continued to pace in silence for awhile.

Severus had accepted Draco and Harry's fate the minute they disappeared. He knew they would die. And he knew there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

He couldn't remember ever feeling worse in his life: Harry was going to die.

Severus was totally confused by what was happening in this office. Usually, it would be Severus who would be furiously pacing, and the headmaster who was able to keep his whits about him.

And the Headmaster wasn't helping matters by pacing. "Would you stop Albus? There is nothing we can do," Severus said, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Yes there is…We have…"

"You know as well as I do, that no one is going to find a spell that will locate them. The professors, the HA, and the remaining summer crew are all wasting their time."

"How can you say that?" Albus finally stopped pacing, and stood in front of Severus. "They are still alive."

"But we have no way to find them!" he yelled, finally letting emotion show in his voice.

Albus went back to pacing. "There's always a way. There has to be a way."

"You're wasting your time pacing, Albus," Severus said, before striding away.

Severus was so lost in thought; he didn't even realize that his feet had carried him to his chambers until he arrived at the portrait. He said the password, and strode to the fireplace. Sitting on top was a picture Albus had taken of him and Harry. They had been laughing at something funny; Severus couldn't even remember what now. Neither knew the picture had been taken. Albus had surprised him with it only a couple of days ago.

Severus reverently lifted the picture, and sat on the couch.

Harry was going to die….his Harry. The boy he was starting to consider a son…the boy who had broken down years of shields he'd placed so carefully around his heart in just a couple of days. Harry had somehow managed to change everything about Severus, and he hadn't realized how much until this instant.

Harry was going to die…and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Severus did something he didn't even remember doing: he broke down into tears.

His Harry was going to die…and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

&

Harry and Draco landed in a completely dark room. It was daylight out, which meant there were no windows in the room.

At first, the pain in Harry's scar took away his ability to breathe. Voldemort was near by. Harry panicked. The last time his scar had hurt this much had been the night at the graveyard....Harry stopped himself at that line of thought.

The first thing he knew he had to do was calm down, and breathe. Once that was accomplished, he pictured the pain in his mind as a living entity, and then he picutred the pain leaving his head, and dying. The pain decreased to a somewhat manageable level.

Harry sat up. He could barely make out the figure that was Draco hovering next to him.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "We need some light in this room."

He stood up, and held out his hand, and muttered _lumos_. A small, bright ball (brighter than what would appear on a wand with the same spell) appeared in his hand.

"Did you know that was going to happen?" Draco whispered. Harry could only shake his head.  
Draco's words were hitting to close to home. They were similar, too similar, to what Cedric had said when the portkey had taken them to the graveyard.

Harry stood up and walked to the middle of the room. He closed his eyes, and pictured a string that started on the ceiling above the ball of light, and descended until the two were attached. He then pictured the string slowly rising until the ball of light was on the ceiling. Harry opened his eyes and looked up. The ball of light was right where he'd pictured it.

He turned his head. Draco was staring at him in utter shock. Harry moved to the corner diagonal from where Draco was sitting, which was only a couple steps away. This time, rather than mutter _lumos_, he pictured a ball of light in his hand, slightly bigger and brighter than the first one. He then pictured the ball of light floating to the ceiling. He opened his eyes and looked up yet again. Sure enough, the ball was right where he'd pictured it.

He repeated the same procedure in the rest of the corners. It wasn't until he was done that he really took a look at where he was. When he did, he found that his legs wouldn't hold him up, and he plopped next to Draco.

"Harry? Harry, what's wrong?" Draco asked.

"I know where we are," Harry answered, barely able to breathe.

Draco waited for Harry to finish, but when he didn't, Draco prompted him by saying, "Where?"

"The Riddle Manor. This is the room where they tortured Sev," Harry whispered, very close to tears.

"Oh," was all Draco could say.

Harry let his head rest against the cold stone. He would not break down in front of Draco. Not again. He was stronger than that. He would not cry in the face of inevitable death. For that was the only thing that could await him. Not Draco. Voldemort wouldn't kill Draco. But he wouldn't hesitate about killing Harry. There was no way for any one to find him: Voldemort would make sure of that. No one could come to rescue him. He was going to die.

Harry was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard teeth chattering next to him. Without turning his head, he asked, "You're cold?"

"Yeah."

Harry, not knowing what he was doing or how he was doing it, closed his eyes, and pictured the both of them covered in a big, warm blanket. When he felt the heat of it covering him, he knew he'd done it right.

"How'd you do that?" Draco asked. Harry just shrugged.

He lay down on the cold stone floor, and pictured a pillow behind his head. He couldn't even find the energy to grin at how much his wandless magic had grown. In the face of death, petty things like that didn't really matter, did they?

"Hey Harry?"

"Hum?"

"Could you make a pillow for me?"

Harry turned over. Draco had also lain down. Harry closed his eyes, and pictured another pillow. When he heard Draco say, "Thank you," he knew he'd succeeded.

&

Voldemort was sitting in his throne room when he heard a _thump_ in his torture chambers. He smiled to himself. Lucius had done well.

Voldemort decided to give the boy a couple days alone. He had charms in that room that would make sure the Potter boy couldn't kill himself or die of starvation. A couple days to let him ponder his fate.

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta HarryEstel for everything she's done for this fic. She's got several great stories you guys should check out!

A/N2: I got the idea for this chapter title from a song the "Buffy" musical. Don't own it, etc.

A/N3: I hope the bit about the portkey makes sense. I just wanted to put some angst in there. And as to why Harry took off his sword...it wouldn't do for him to kill Voldie so soon, would it?

I would like to thank everyone who reviewed: HecateDeMort, monica85, Linker27, GhostMagic19, shelly101( ), starangel2106, beauty78900102( ), leggylover03, jennifer( ), soulfire( ), Muses Fury, Read300300, diamond004( ), Fangfoot, SammyBlack80,

Replies to reviewers:

Avemtilla: I do love your long reviews. I hope your heart starts up again! lol.

AuroraAbbie Snape: Yep, it was the snitch in the box.

opal( ): I was refering to when the cup got turned into a portkey at the final task.

Lady Lily3: He didn't have time to summon his sword.

Whooserfan: I hope you didn't get hurt too badly by the wall. lol.


	45. Caught in the Fire

Chapter Forty-five: Caught in the Fire

During the next two days, the school seemed to come to a complete stand-still. When classes started back up on Monday, no teacher seemed to have the heart to teach, and no student, except for the Slytherins, seemed to have the heart to learn.

The HA, the remainder of the 'summer crew,' and the professors, with the exception of Severus, were all furiously researching and testing various ways to locate Harry and Draco, but none were successful.

Sirius was refusing to listen to what Snape had said. Harry had to be alive. He didn't know how he would survive if Harry died. Harry is what got him through Azkaban. He threw himself in to looking so he wouldn't get too depressed, and so that he wouldn't let his mind wonder to depressing thoughts.

Severus, on the other hand, had never been more depressed. He barely found the will to go to class and teach. Harry was going to die (if he wasn't already dead) and Draco would soon follow. He knew research was hopeless, so he didn't even bother.

&&

Monday night found Harry and Draco hungrier and thirstier than they'd ever been. Harry had tried and tried to make food, but with wand and wandless magic, but for some reason, he couldn't.

The wait for Voldemort was also starting to drive them just a little bit crazy. Every small noise they heard became Voldemort walking toward their cell.

They rarely talked; for what was there to say? Harry had long ago realized the reason why he'd been given the sword for his birthday. It was the only way to kill Voldemort, and Harry didn't have his sword. Maybe if he did, if he'd listened to Sev and not cared about winning some _stupid_ Quidditch match, the war could be over when Voldemort entered their cell.

On that Monday night, Voldemort did enter their cell. They heard his footsteps first. They weren't very loud, but Harry and Draco were so tense from days of waiting, they could have heard anything. As Voldemort got closer, Harry felt the pain in his scar and head continue to rise, but there was nothing he could do about it; the pain was just too much. Harry somehow found the strength and the will to turn down the 'power,' from his lights, but he was able to leave the 'bulb.' Draco tossed their blankets and pillow into a corner that the light from the door couldn't reach.

The door opened and in swooped Voldemort. His eyes scanned the room before coming to rest on Draco.

"My, my Draco. I did not expect to find you here," he said.

"We touched the snitch at the same time," Draco answered.

Voldemort pulled out his wand and put the _crucio_ on Draco. Both Harry and Draco crumpled on the ground, screaming. After what seemed like an eternity, but what was really only a couple of seconds, Voldemort lifted the curse. Harry had forgotten how horrible the curse really was. Voldemort strode over to Draco, grabbed him by the neck, and dragged him up the wall until they were eye level. Harry remained on the ground; he could feel Voldemort's hand on his throat.

"Even though you do not yet have the _privilege_ of possessing the Dark Mark, you will still address me as 'My Lord.' Is that understood?" Voldemort asked. Draco nodded as best he could. Voldemort let go of Draco, and he fell to the floor in an undignified heap. Voldemort turned and strode out of the room.

&

Tuesday night after dinner, Hermione and Ron entered Sev's rooms. Sev was sitting on his couch, holding a picture frame in his hands.

"Sev?" Hermione asked in an attempt to get his attention. He grunted in response. "Does Harry keep a journal?"

"I gave him one, when I first brought him here. I saw him writing in it once. I don't know if he still does," he replied in the same flat, emotionless voice he'd used in Dumbledore's office.

"What if he wrote down how he rescued you in that journal? And what if Harry and Draco are being kept in the same place? We can rescue them the same way Harry rescued you!" Hermione said.

"Rescue their corpses you mean," Sev responded in the same voice.

"How can you say that?!" Ron exclaimed, sounding very hurt.

"There's no way that they're still alive," Sev said.

"Just tell us what the journal looks like, we'll go find it, and handle the rest," Hermione said.

For the first time since they entered the room, Sev looked at them. His eyes reflected his voice. They were devoid of emotion. He sighed, and described it.

Ron immediately left for the boys' dorm, while Hermione searched Harry's room in Sev's quarters.

When Hermione entered the common room after an hour of fruitless searching, she found the Weasley's huddled around something. She rushed over.

"We found it!" Ginny said.

"Did you find how he rescued him?" Hermione asked.

"Still looking," Ron said while flipping through the journal.

After a couple seconds, Ron yelled, "FOUND IT!". The whole common room looked up in surprise. Since Harry and Malfoy had been taken, little to no noise had permeated the Common Room.

"It's nothing. Sorry. Go back to work," Hermione said to the room in general. She then gently whacked Ron upside the head. "Not so loud next time," she said into his ear.

He blushed, and the crew began reading. "Riddle Manor. But why would You- Know-Who use his muggle father's house?" Ginny whispered.

"That doesn't matter now. Let's bring this to Dumbledore," Hermione said.

&

Much, much later the same night, a group of Order of the Phoenix Aurors, plus Severus and Remus portkeyed outside of Riddle Manor. All of them were wearing invisibility cloaks.

They crept as silently as they could to the house. Once inside, they used Harry's instructions he'd left in his journal to the room where he'd rescued Severus. All they could do was pray that they would indeed be there.

All of them were quite shocked when there was no one guarding the door, but an Auror opened it anyway. Light poured into the hallway, but immediately disappeared.

Tonks' voice came floating from the room. "They're here," she whispered as softly as Tonks could whisper. The group entered the room and shed their cloaks.

Severus hurried over to the unconscious boys and checked for signs of life. He turned his head to the group and nodded. Everyone let out a breath. Severus gently picked up Harry, and Remus picked up Draco.

No one noticed when Severus placed a light kiss on Harry's forehead.

In the blink of an eye, they had all apparated away.

A/N: I would like to thank my incredible bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and by beta for all of the wonderful things she's done to help me and this fic.

A/N2: I also got this story title from the Buffy musical. Don't own it, etc.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: Lady Lily3, AuroraAbbie Snape, starangel2106, HecateDeMort, GhostMagic19, shelly101( ), shedoc10, Lady Nicole Malfoy-Potter, SammyBlack80, craftygurl( ), lalaluu, jennifer( ), Beth5572, beauty78900102,

Replies to reviewers:

Linker27: Wasn't Frank Bryce killed in the Manor, though?

white-blaze-dragon: I sent you an email. I didn't mean to skip your review. I'm really sorry. I truly do enjoy hearing from you.

asd( ): That's cool that you realized that it was from Buffy! Go you!

Avemtilla: You crack me up. I love your reviews.

cdkobasiuk: Are you still reading?


	46. Acting on Instinct

Chapter Forty-six: Acting on Instinct

Harry found himself floating back into consciousness, but didn't open his eyes. The first thing he realized was that the pain in his head and scar was gone. Draco and he had been rescued!

He let go of the breath he'd been holding, and realized the safe feeling was back. He'd only felt this safe twice before; when Sev had held him. Was Sev holding him now? He relaxed, and realized that someone had their arm across his chest.

He opened his eyes. He was in his room in Sev's quarters. Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny, Avery, and Sirius were all sitting in chairs, asleep. He glanced up. He _was_ being held by Sev. He turned his head to look at Draco's bed. Sure enough, Draco was in it.

He glanced back at everyone who was gathered in his room. His eyes snagged on Ginny. He'd never realized it before, but…she'd grown. Gone was the terrified first year who could barely say two words to him. In her place was a confident, beautiful young woman. How had he missed it?!

With a smile on his lips, he fell asleep.

&

Harry and Draco spent the rest of the week in bed, recovering. Not only were they physically exhausted, but emotionally as well; they had to teach themselves that not every little noise meant that Voldemort was coming down to kill them.

On Monday, after classes, Harry, Padfoot, and Draco were down in Sev's quarters. Sev and Harry were discussing a Dark spell on Sev's couch, Padfoot had his head in Harry's lap, and Draco was pacing back and forth.

"Would you stop that infernal pacing? You're wearing a groove in my carpet," Sev snapped good-naturedly.

"It's just…Christmas break is getting closer, and I still don't know how I'm going to get out of being marked!"

"I was wondering when you would bring that up," Sev said, standing up and going to his room.

"You were?" Draco called out to him. Harry and Draco shared a questioning look.

Sev returned holding packet of papers that had been neatly folded, and handed them to Draco. "Dumbledore and I have been working on this for a long time. I only just got these today. It was hard work going around the ministry."

"What are they?" Draco asked.

"Read them," Sev said.

Draco unfolded them, and began flipping through the parchment, his eyes going wider and wider as he continued reading. "A… Adoption?" Draco sputtered.

"What?" Harry asked, standing up suddenly (scaring poor Padfoot) and stood next to Draco, who tipped the parchment slightly so Harry could read. Padfoot joined Harry.

"Well, not quite. That can come later. It's more like…guardianship. But as your guardian, Lucius wouldn't be able to touch you. The only thing is, he has to sign it," Sev explained.

"Draco Snape Malfoy?" Draco asked.

"Well, that's optional," Sev said.

"Yeah, I don't think Lucius would be happy with Draco Malfoy-Snape, or Snape-Malfoy," Harry joked.

"I wanna sign," Draco said.

"Dumbledore has to witness," Sev said.

"Let's go! I wanna send this to Lucius,"

"Not a good idea. He'd probably shred them," Harry said.

"True. We'll send him a note!" Draco said, getting more and more excited.

"Would that make us brothers?" Harry asked.

"I think so," Draco said, frowning in concentration before saying, "Well, come on!"

Sev, Draco, and Padfoot left for Dumbledore's office.

Later that night, Sev and Harry were reading, and relaxing on Sev's couch. Sev broke the easy silence. "Draco told me about the magic you did."

"So. I'd bet loads of people can do it," Harry said, still reading.

"No Harry. Even Dumbledore isn't that talented with wandless magic."

Harry put the book on his lap, using his finger to keep his place. "Yeah, right. Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard in the world. There's no _way_ I'm more powerful than him."

"When it comes to wandless magic, though, you are. And wandless magic, if learnt and done right, is much more powerful than magic done with a wand. You've always shown an inclination towards instinct. It's how you were able to teach yourself to channel the pain from the _cruciatus_ to the sword."

Harry just sat there numbly before putting his head in his hands. "Why is it always me? _Why_?!"

Sev sighed and rubbed Harry's back. "I just don't know Harry, I just don't know."

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta HarryEstel for everything she has done to help me with this fic.

Beta: You never ever thought.........

A/N2: I never, ever thought I would be writing a fic where Harry has super powers. I don't even like most stories where he does. But my muse ran away with me. The powers do have a purpose in the end, though.

A/N3: Since I got SO many reviews, and this chapter is SO short, I'm emailing those of you who have your email on your bios your thank yous. I know I'll be doing this in the far future, but I'll let you know next time so you can leave your email.

Thank you to every one who reviewed (who I didn't email): HecateDeMort, Moni( ), jennifer( ), forfirith( ), ShadowedHand, beauty78900102,

Replies to reviewers:

cdkobasiuk: The 'other shoe' will be dropping in several chapters, don't worry. I'm glad you liked the bit with Padfoot.

opal(), ahappyjtm: Nope, Voldie didn't hear them. The aurors are just that good.

Aqua Mage: Dang, I actually had to double check my own work to answer this! No, Harry didn't tell Albus where he went. Even if he had, I don't think he would have thought of looking there.

hobbitmaiden( ): I'm so glad that you found this again, but why did you review at 18? Is my story really addicting?


	47. Have a Happy Life

A/N: 2-15-09: This chapter always bothered me for some reason, so I finally got bored enough to change it. Hope you all like it! ~ enb2004

The next couple of weeks passed the same. Harry was working way too hard at everything, Sirius was still doing a good job at protecting Draco, and Draco and Avery had become an 'official' couple.

The evening before Christmas break rolled around. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, were lounging in Sev's room chit-chatting. Draco was there too, but he was pretending to read, while really staring vacantly off into space. Lucius still hadn't replied to the letter that had been written two weeks prior. Draco knew that Lucius would sometimes put off responding to letters, but never for this long. And it was making him increasingly nervous.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Severus told the students to hide until he knew who it was. He cracked the door open to peek at who it was. He never got the chance. The door flew open, knocking Severus on his back a couple feet away from the door. Severus dragged himself up, glaring daggers at an equally furious Lucius.

"I need to see my son," Lucius growled through gritted teeth.

Severus opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by a voice behind him saying "Yes?"

Lucius shoved Severus aside and strode up to his son, brandishing the letter. "What is the meaning of this?!" Lucius yelled.

Draco yelled right back: "The meaning is right there in the letter, if you would care to open your eyes and see! I'm staying here over Christmas break!"

Severus tried to keep his voice even. "Maybe just the two of us should talk."

Lucius leveled him a glare that would have made any other grown man pee in his pants and growled: "This is a conversation between my son and me. Traitor!" and he backhanded Severus so hard and so quickly that his feet left the ground. Severus literally flew from the force of the blow and hit the wall hard. His head had hit the wall with a resounding, sickening _thud_ that echoed through his apartment. A small trail of blood was barely noticeable where he had slid down the wall.

Draco ran over to Sev, and whispered, "Sev! Sev, come on! Please wake up!" Sev laboriously opened his eyes, and Draco let out a breath. He held up three fingers, and asked Sev, "How many fingers am I holding up?"

Sev squinted and grunted, "Three."

Draco smiled. "Do you thing you can stand?" Sev grunted in the affirmative, and Draco helped him to his feet. After swaying unsteadily for a couple of seconds, he reached into his robes and pulled out the guardianship parchments.

Lucius looked at the papers suspiciously. "What are these?" he asked, unknowingly echoing his son.

"Just read them," Sev croaked.

Lucius opened up the parchment, and began reading the papers. He went through them relatively quickly, his frown increasing the more he read. When he got to the last page, he seemed to pause, taking longer to read it as compared to the others. The last page was the one that said that in the event of Lucius' death, Draco would inherit the Malfoy money and Manor. If Lucius were to die before Draco turned seventeen, his mother would retain control of the Manor, and the money would be kept in Gringotts. Draco wouldn't be able to touch it until he became of age. Despite all of his trying, Lucius hadn't been able to get his wife pregnant. He would have to sign the last page.

After what seemed like an eternity, Lucius strode to the desk in the corner of the room, and signed all the papers.

When he was done, he folded the parchment the way it had been before, and handed it to Draco. Father and son stared at each other for a couple of seconds, before Lucius stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Draco collapsed onto the couch. Harry, Ron, and Hermione came out of the spare room. Harry and Sev sat on either side of Draco. "Are you OK?" Hermione asked.

Draco let out a breath. "Yea. I'm glad it's done, actually."

&

Voldemort was sitting in his throne when Lucius apparated in front of him.

"Ah, Lucius. What can I do for you?" Voldemort asked.

Lucius recounted the events that had just occurred.

"Does this mean that he will not becoming a Death Eater?" Voldemort hissed when Lucius had finished.

"Yes, my Lord, that is what that means."

"You have failed me. _Crucio_," Voldemort hissed. He held the curse for a long time, longer than he should have. Long enough to cause brain damage.

After nearly a half an hour, he let up. Lucius was still screaming. Voldemort sat on his throne, and steepled his fingers, waiting for Lucius to stop screaming, which took almost ten minutes.

Slowly, painfully, Lucius managed to stand. "Have you learned your lesson?" Voldemort asked. Lucius nodded. "Good. Now get out of my sight." And Lucius apparated away.

It was good that Lucius hadn't received any detectable brain damage, for he could still stand, hear, respond, and perform magic. If he had, Voldemort would have killed him on the spot. The Dark Lord knew that his right hand man would need at least two months of good solid bed rest to fully recover, if he ever would. Voldemort's mercy, however, did not extend that far. The marking ceremony took planning, preparation; planning and preparation that only his right hand man could achieve. Perhaps Lucius could rest _after _the ceremony. After all, he had to be 100 per cent before…..

A smile slowly spread on Voldemort's lips. He would make sure that Lucius would be fully recovered when that….glorious day arrived.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta, HarryEstel, for helping me with this fic.

A/N2: Do I have you guys throughly confused as to what 'that glorious day' is? Even if someone does guess right, I'm not gonna say so. hehehe

A/N3: OMG 600 REVIEWS!!!! Many, many, many thanks to EVERY SINGLE REVIEWER!! Especially much thanks to tigersmeleth for being my 600 reviewer!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed and made my 600 reviews possible: El Shabang, Lady Lily3, HecateDeMort, tigersmeleth, jbfritz, opal( ), rosiegirl, white-blaze-dragon, emikae, shelly101( ), ShadowedHand, SammyBlack80, Aqua Mage, Jennifer( ), Star Girl11,

Replies to reviewers:

starangel2106: This is a relatively long chappie. After this, there's mostly VERY short chappies, except for one longer one.

beauty78900102: I've already written up to chapter 63, and there's still gonna be ALOT more to come, so I doubt is going to be less than 90.

AuroraAbbie Snape: Yes, this will be a Harry/Ginny Ron/Hermione story, and they're going to get together soon. As for powers that will come into play...I guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?

Avemtilla: Once again, very good story.

diamond004: I started to read it, and I might finish it tonight if I have the time, but it's good so far.

leggylover03: That's going to be the last aw moment for a long time. There's going to be a funny moment, but no aw's for several chappies.

LGM( ): I so know where you're coming from, and I do realize that I do that. Those are usually plot points that I'm not fond of but have to be said, or points that I didn't put much thought into, which usually lead to my first point. And there's going to be alot more of it because I'm excited to get to the climax.


	48. Great Observation, Sherlock

Chapter Forty-eight: Great Observation, Sherlock 

The first two weeks of Christmas break flew by. Harry spent some time at Sirius and Remus' place; Ron and Hermione came over for lessons several times, and Fred, George, Ginny, and Avery came over a couple times as well.

For Christmas Day dinner, Sev and Harry invited Sirius and Remus, all the Weasleys, and the Grangers.

At the prearranged time, everyone, except for Sev, was assembled in the living room.

Just then, the fire place flared up and Avery stepped out. Her shoulders were slumped, and her head was down.

Draco crossed the room in two strides. When he was standing in front of her, he gently lifted her chin with his fingers until their eyes met. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I thought we were going to have a big family get together, like we always do, for Christmas dinner. I just found out that it got canceled because my parents had a meeting." Draco gulped, but she didn't notice. "I came over here because I remember you mentioning that Sev was throwing a big dinner. I didn't want to be alone on Christmas," she explained.

"You're never alone," Draco said while pulling her into a hug, which she gratefully returned.

When they pulled away, she said 'hello,' to everyone in the room, and met those who she didn't know.

She finally noticed Sirius. His face was pale, and he looked like he was going to be sick. "What's wrong?" she asked him.

If possible, he paled even more, but said, "Nothing."

She glanced at Draco, who was also seemed like he was going to be sick. "What's going on here? What's wrong with you two?!" she demanded.

"It's nothing, Avery. Please don't worry about it," Draco said.

"Now I am worried about 'it!' What exactly is…" she started to say.

She was cut off when Harry abruptly stood up and said, "I'm going to go find Sev," and left the room.

The first place Harry checked was Sev's bedroom, but that was empty. There was, however, a light coming from under the closed door of Sev's closet. Harry went in.

The floor of the walk-in closet was covered with black robes, and sitting in the middle of them was Sev.

"What's wrong with you?" Harry asked.

"Black. Everything I own is BLACK!"

"Really? Great observation, Sherlock," Harry said sarcastically.

"What?"

"Sherlock…muggle detective," Harry said, but Sev just kept giving him a blank look. "Never mind. Look, it's easy. You just…" Harry said, and the robe in Sev's hands turned a dark Slytherin green.

"But that still doesn't solve my problem," Sev said.

"Which is…"

"EVERYTHING I OWN IS BLACK!!!"

"Now is _not_ the time for a nervous breakdown. Just put on the robe and come on down. We can't start dinner without you and I'm sure everyone's waiting."

"Fine. Coming," Sev grumbled.

Sev arrived in the living room a couple of minutes later. Everyone's mouths dropped at the sight of Professor Snape in green robes. Pretending not to notice, he said, "Welcome. Dinner is served."

Dinner was delicious; the house-elves had out done themselves. There was an obscene amount of food, and it just kept coming.

At around the fourth course, everyone was talking and laughing and having a blast. Harry and Ginny locked eyes from across the table. For them, the noise dimmed. No one else was in the room; it was just the two of them. Time slowed down, and then stopped. They were lost in each other's eyes. Small grins appeared on both of their mouths. Blushing, Ginny looked away.

The second she did, time speed up to normal speed, and the volume got turned back up. Both found themselves breathless and slightly warm. Ron nudged Harry. "You alright?"

"Yeah. Don't worry about me," Harry said.

Three courses later, everyone was good and properly stuffed, they moved back to the living room. Avery moved Draco into a corner. "You know where my parents are, don't you?"

"Avery, please…"

She interrupted him, "Don't you?!"

"The Death Eater initiation is on Christmas night," Draco said reluctantly.

There was a pause. "Thank you, Draco; thank you for the truth. It really means a lot to me."

"Of course. That's what boyfriends are for, right?"

She nodded. "Let's get back to the party, shall we?"

He grabbed her hand. "Let's."

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta HarryEstel for everything she's done for this fic.

A/N2: I would like to dedicate this chapter to my new roomie, Justine. Much better than our last one! Love you Justine!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: jbfritz, beauty78900102, HecateDeMort, starangel2106, Jade Snape, Jennifer( ), shelly101( ), leggylover03 , Beth5572, ShadowedHand, Chainmailgrl,

Replies to reviewers:

Linker27, leyla( ): I know it was sappy, but sap can be good, occationally, sometimes, maybe....I hope.

monica85: Thank you. If I get the chance, I'll check out your story and leave a review. If I don't check it out soon though, please remind me.

Lady Lily3: heah, heah, yeah, uumm, minor detail??? They're all very shocked, but I just forgot that. Minor detail.

opal( ): The way I see it, Lucius really does want what's best for Draco which is why he signs the papers and wants him to have a good life. Lucius knows he can't give him the life that he wants. Did that come out right?

AuroraAbbie Snape: Yeah, poor ( ): Did you get my email? I want to once again say thank you for the incredible email!

Avemtilla: Don't kill Lucius and Voldie. That's my job. lol

little ol' me( ): Easy way out. I wanted to get the plot moving.


	49. Sitting on a Field of Victory

Chapter Forty-nine: Sitting on a Field of Victory

The rest of Christmas break flew by in much the same fashion.

During the last potion lesson, Sev had everyone brew two potions at once: a basic healing potion, and one other. Harry and Sev were both brewing three at once. Since it was the middle of the year, they were working to refill both Madame Poppy and Sev's stores.

While every one was still preparing the ingredients before they set out to brew, Avery asked Sev, "What's up with all of the basic healing potions?"

"If a person is hurt badly and needs many potions, giving them a basic healing potion can act as a catalyst that makes the potions work together. It can also heal minor injuries that might get in the way of the other potions working," Sev answered. Everyone muttered that they understood.

By the time school started back up in Mid-January, the summer crew, plus Avery had become known as the winter crew. The whole school soon fell right back into the grove.

The first Wednesday back was a HA meeting. Harry had the people whose turn it was in the potion's lab brew two potions at once, serving two purposes. The first is that it would also refill Madame Poppy and Sev's stocks, and the second would prove that could do it. If they could, they would be more than ready for their Potions O.W.Ls. Harry gave Neville the _cruciatus _after effects potion, on top of the basic healing, and he did splendidly.

Over the next two weeks, everyone in the HA had brewed two potions at once. Hermione declared everyone was ready for the O.W.L, which was quite a feat.

The first weekend in February was a Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw match. Everyone, except for most of the Slytherins turned out to watch.

When the two teams came out to the pitch, both were wearing black arm bands in memory of Cedric. A good number of Hufflepuffs had tears in their eyes before the brooms left the ground.

Everyone, including the Hufflepuffs, was shocked at the ferocity that the Hufflepuffs were displaying. It seemed they were trying their hardest to prove to Cedric they were still a good team.

The beaters were constantly sending bludgers every direction, making the Ravenclaws dive for cover which gave the Hufflepuff chasers the advantage.

And did the chasers took the advantage! No sooner had a bludger been sent towards the Ravenclaw's keeper than a Hufflepuff chaser was scoring.  
  
The Ravenclaws did catch on but it didn't seem to make mutch of a difference. The beaters continued their ferocious attack with a grim yet determined look on their faces.

In the audience, Fred and George were muttering back and forth about how they would have to step up their own training a notch. While still the top beaters in the school, the Hufflepuff beaters had the advantage of wanting to prove something. Hufflepuff was most certainly not a push over this year and Fred and George were taking them seriously just as Oliver Wood had two years ago.

With the beaters constantly attacking, Cho Chang was recruited to help their Keeper while still keeping an eye out for the snitch. That was all the distraction that the Hufflepfuff seeker needed.

The Hufflepuff seeker was a scrawny sixth year, who caught the snitch while Cho was being pelted by bludgers, giving Hufflepuff a 300-0 win thanks to the extradordinary efforts by the Chasers and Beaters.

Every one, except for some Slytherins, roared with approval. They knew how hard the death of Cedric Diggory had hit the Hufflepuffs and were glad to see that they were continuing their lives while remembering and honoring his memory.

Professor Sprout had tears in her eyes as did quite a few others, including Harry, although he did not allow them to fall. The Hufflepuff's circled the field in a victory lap before heading back to the castle for a well earned party.

"Harry, aren't you coming in?" Ron asked when he noticed that Harry was still sitting in the stands.  
  
"I'll catch up with you guys later," Harry said softly, trying to keep the tremors out of his voice.

"But," Ron started to say.

"Ronald Weasley!" Hermioned hissed. "That's fine Harry, we'll be in the Common Room," she said to him softly. Unlike certain red haired prats she understood what Harry was feeling and that he desired and deserved some solitude.

Ron shot one more concerned glance at Harry before allowing Hermione to drag him back into the castle.

Once everyone was gone, Harry quietly stood and surveyed the empty field. There was a certain tranquilness in the air, a calmness that Harry had not felt in a long while.

"Be at peace now Cedric," he whispered softly to the air.

For a moment Harry could have sworn he heard a whispered thank you, but there was no one there. As Harry entered the castle the same calmness that had been in the air was now in him. For the first time in many months, Harry let go of the past and instead, looked towards the future.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta for helping write this chapter. I'm not too good at writing Quidditch when Harry's not playing, so I wrote a basic outline of what I wanted to happen during the game, and she ran with it. She also wrote the heart-wrentching ending. Yes, all of her stuff is just that good.

A/N2: I got the title from LOTR:ROTK. I don't own it, etc. You know the drill. Standard disclaimer applies.

A/N3: I know it's been a short time between my last post and this one, but I'm gonna be busy for the next week, and I wanted to give you guys something to make you happy. And, no, I didn't write this overnight. I've written up to somewhere in the sixties.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: Jade Sierra Snape, beauty78900102, jbfritz, leggylover03, Aqua Mage,

Replies to reviewers:

Lady Lily3: They didn't tell her the first time because that would have been rather embarrasing in front of everyone, don't you think. It's also a rather private thing.

monica85, AuroraAbbie Snape starangel2106, ShadowedHand : Phew. I'm so glad you guys thought it was funny.

Linker27: The Harry/Ginny moment is leading up to something, I promise.

ShadowedHand: I love those moments when Sev seems more like a child. lol. I have a plan for when Sirius and Avery's relationship will be made public.


	50. Valentine's Day

Chapter Fifty: Valentines Day

February 13 landed on a Friday. That morning started out like any other morning.

Until the morning post arrived. A beautiful eagle owl flew strait to Hermione's shoulder. Hermione relieved the magnificent bird of its burden before feeding it some bacon.

As her eyes skimmed the letter, little giggles escaped her lips every so often. When she was finished, she had a huge smile on her lips. She rummaged through her pack before bringing out a piece of parchment, a quill, and some ink. She scribbled a note, and gave it to the owl, saying, "Please hurry this to your master." The bird flew away, and Hermione went back to eating.

"Who was that from?" Ron asked while taking a swig of pumpkin juice.

"Viktor," Hermione said without looking up.

Ron spit out the pumpkin juice, and Harry fell into a fit of silent laughter. This was going to be good. He only hoped that everything would work out well in the end.

"What did he want?" Ron asked, his voice nearly an octave too high.

Hermione set her fork down and calmly met Ron's eyes. "He some how found out that we have a Hogsmeade day tomorrow, so he wanted to know if I could meet him at the Three Broomsticks at 10:00."

Ron looked absolutely horrified. "You said no, right? That's what the note said, right?"

Harry's sides were beginning to hurt, and he could feel the tears forming in his eyes. Ron was so jealous and it was obvious to everyone but Ron and Hermione. In fact, there was a bet going around the Gryffindors on when Ron and Hermione would finally come to their senses and become a couple.

"As a matter of fact, I told him I would be absolutely delighted to meet him then."

Ron sat there, his face redder than his hair, for several seconds before getting up and storming out of the Great Hall.

Unable to contain himself, Harry burst into full blown hysterics followed by several of the other Gryffindors. "I don't know what you find so funny," Hermione snapped at all of them.

Harry couldn't stop laughing the whole of breakfast. He was still trying, rather unsuccessfully, not to laugh when they reached the greenhouses.

The whole day, Ron and Hermione didn't say two words to each other.

When Saturday rolled around, Hermione left for Hogsmeade rather early. Ron, Harry, and Draco spent the day together, as did Ginny and Avery. The twins spent almost the entire day in Zonko's. No one else quite knew what they were up to and frankly, nor did they want to. It could prove to be hazardous to their health.

It was getting late, and all of the Gryffindors, except for Hermione were back in the Common Room. Harry and Ron were playing chess, and Ron was, for once, losing badly. Ginny was reading a book on a couch next to Harry and Ron, and the twins were whispering in the corner, obviously planning some sort of prank.

Finally, just before curfew, a very windswept Hermione came in carrying a couple bags. She walked over to Ron and Hermione with a huge smile on her face.

"How was your date with Krum?" Harry asked.

Hermione plopped down on a chair next to Harry. "Wonderful. One of the best days of my life." Ron snorted, but Hermione continued on like she didn't hear. "But do you want to know the best part? He was such a gentleman, and he treated my like a lady. He opened doors for me, and picked up the check at the Three Broomsticks. He even took me shopping and, without me knowing, bought almost everything I said I liked. It was so wonderful not to be treated like 'one of the guys.'"

"We do _not_!" Ron said.

"Oh yes, for the most part, you do," Hermione said. Harry and Ginny glanced at each other, but had to quickly look away so they wouldn't burst into hysterics.

"Why did you have to go see him anyway? It's fraternizing with the enemy!" Ron exclaimed.

Hermione let out a sigh. "We had this conversation last year, Ronald. He is _not_ the enemy! Especially not now that the tournament is done. Besides, Harry won!"

"You still shouldn't have seen him!"

"Why? Hmm? Give me _one_ good reason why!"

Ron stood up. "Because I said so!"

Hermione also stood up. "Because you said so? Because _you_ said so? BECAUSE YOU SAID SO?! You arrogant _git_! How dare you!"

By this time, Ron and Hermione had the entire Common Room watching them with fascination. They were so involved with eachother however that they didn't notice that they had an audience.

"Oh, I'm the arrogant one? I'm not the one who spent the whole day with Victor Krum!"

"And exactly _how_ does that make me arrogant?!"

Ron turned on his heel and nearly ran to the boys' dorm. Hermione turned on her heel, and stomped the way to hers. The whole Common Room was dead silent as they watched them storm off to their respective dormatories.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other and succeeded in not laughing. "You go talk to her. I'll deal with him," Harry said.

Ginny nodded. She picked up the bags Hermione had left, and calmly made her way to the fifth year dorms.

She found Hermione sprawled on her bed face down, sobbing. Ginny set the bags down, and sat on the bed next to Hermione.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Ginny asked.

Hermione sat up and wiped her tears, but couldn't stop crying. "Ron is such a git sometimes. I had such a wonderful day, and he goes and ruins it," Hermione said through her tears.

"Have you ever considered the possibility that you might like Ron?" Ginny asked.

"What?"

"Everyone thinks so."

Hermione snorted and dabbed her eyes. "Who's everyone?" she asked.

"Everyone but you two."

"I don't like him. He's a git! How can anyone like a git like him?"

"Just think about it, alright? He's not always a git, you know."

Hermione sniffled and nodded.

IN THE BOYS DORMS

Harry cautiously entered the fifth year boys' dorms. Ron was furiously pacing. Ron glanced up at Harry when he came in.

"Can you believe her? Fraternizing with the enemy. Unbelievable," Ron fumed.

"She did make a good point, you know. That was last year, and I did win," Harry said.

"At what price?" Ron asked, rounding on Harry.

"That was out of line, even for you," Harry said trying to hold on to his temper if only because he knew that Ron didn't really mean it and had only said in the heat of the moment.

Ron's head dropped and his shoulders slumped. He sat on his bed and put his head in his hands. "Your right; I'm sorry."

"Forgiven," Harry said. There was a moment of awkward silence. "I think you're just jealous," Harry finally said.

"Of _what_?" Ron asked his head still in his hands.

"Hermione going and seeing Krum," Harry said.

Ron brought his head up. "_Why_ would that make me jealous?"

Harry shook his head despairingly. Was he honestly going to have to spell it out? Apparently so.  
  
"Because you like her," Harry said in the kind of voice one usually reserved for talking to little children.

"I do NOT!"

"Yeah you do!" Harry said. Ron glared. "Just think about it, ok?" Ron continued to glare. Harry sighed, grabbed his invisibility cloak, stuffed it in his bag, and left for the Common Room. Ginny was already back and reading her book.

"Make sure Hermione is in the Room of Requirement tomorrow morning at 10:30. Bring something to do, but don't make it too obvious. I'm going down to Sev's for the night to do some research," Harry said to Ginny.

"Research on what?" Ginny asked.

"You'll see," Harry said before leaving the Common Room.

&

Breakfast that morning was an interesting affair. Harry and Ginny ate in the middle of the table, Ron on the end closest to the staff table, and Hermione on the end closest to the doors. Draco managed to catch Harry's eye. Draco motioned to Ron and Hermione and gave Harry a questioning look. Harry mouthed, "I'll tell you later."

After breakfast, Harry managed to drag Ron the Room of Requirement, which had transformed itself to a smaller room with padded walls and a soft couch. Not that Harry had specifically asked for a room that looked like that; he just asked for a room that would let Ron and Hermione sort out their differences without getting hurt.

At 10:30, Ginny and Hermione came in. Hermione took one look at Ron, and said "I'm leaving," and turned to leave, but Ginny stopped her.

"You two are going to work out your differences now. I found a locking spell that will only let the people in the room leave when they are truly friends. Come on Ginny, let's let these two have some alone time," Harry said. Ginny and he left after a fight nearly broke out, but Harry managed to place the charm on the door.

Harry sat down right outside the door, and motioned for Ginny to join him, which she did. "Hope you brought a good book," Harry said, pulling one out of his own bag. Ginny also pulled a book out of her bag. "Good."

&

Harry and Ginny waited, rather impatiently, for two hours for Ron and Hermione to come out of the room. When they finally did, both of them were flushed and giddy happy.

"Well?" Ginny asked.

"Well what?" Ron shot right back.

"We only made out," Hermione said, earning her a nudge in the ribs from Ron, and giggles from Harry and Ginny. "What?! We did," she said, trying to defend herself. Ron rolled his eyes but the stupid grin on his face belied his true feelings on the situation.

"Does this mean you two are official?" Harry asked.

"I guess so," Ron said.

"Good," Harry said relieved. No longer would he have to walk around on eggshells with the two of them.

Ginny grunted in agreement. "About bloody time to. Do you have any idea how long mum has been predicting this?"

Ron gaped at his sister for a moment.

"Ginny! Don't curse and no, I didn't know but I guess it shouldn't surprise me," he said.  
  
Ginny glared at Ron. "Oh and why can't I curse Ronald? If you can, I bloody can as well. In case it has escaped your notice I am no longer a little girl," she said before walking off in a huff.

"Sisters," Ron muttered as Hermione swatted him on the arm.

As Ginny walked away, Harry could not but help to agree with her. She most certainly was not a little girl anymore.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and by beta HarryEstel for flushing this chapter out rather nicely. And I get to see her this weekend! HORRAY!!!

A/N2: I know this seems to come out of no where, but I guess I relied too much on evidence from the book. If you want an in-depth look at what that evidence is, so read the RHr Theory, also known as the HHr Theory by Esrb99.

A/N3: Here's the deal for future chapters: I've written up to chapter 63, and plan to write more in the middle of November, if I get the chance, but lately I've been swarmed by school and life in general. Don't get me wrong though, it feels great. Chapters 51&52 are the longest of what I have written, and they won't get longer for a while. So be prepared for that. Along with short chapters comes MAJOR MAJOR cliffies. Just a warning. I'm also planning to do atleast one ficlet that I think will be three chapters, but there might be more.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: beauty78900102, Fangfoot, Linker27, starangel2106, AuroraAbbie Snape, jennifer( ), jbfritz, Nita, Jade Sierra Snape, shelly101( ), SammyBlack80,CharmedKy, Beth5572 (times 2), kimber13( ), Desert Hacker

Replies to reviwers:

opal( ): Yes, Harry and Ginny will get together in the next couple of chapters.

Lady Lily3: Some, but not much until probably around chapter 70. Then its going to be a kind of warm and fuzzy moment.

SheWolfe7: If you're still here, what do you mean by that? It looks fine to me.

leggylover03: he he, um, oopps?

ShadowedHand: It really is, isn't it?


	51. Everything in Life is Funny

Chapter Fifty-one: Everything in Life is Funny…. 

February passed in to March without anyone really noticing. Nothing really changed. Well, except for the weather.

In the middle of March, however, there was a ferocious game of quidditch between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.

Hufflepuff was still playing spectacularly as a team; they still had something to prove. Their beaters and chasers were doing a marvelous job, but they were no match for Gryffidors, no matter what they had to prove.

Harry, of course, caught the snitch in no time.

&

March 31 first was almost over when Harry and the twins got into a vicious fight. The next day was April Fools Day, and the twins were planning something spectacular and they wanted Harry to be a part of it, but Harry flat out refused. He was not a prankster. Even though he'd just come back from a lesson with the winter crew, he left for Sev's rooms to read.

While both he and Sev were reading, he stumbled upon a spell that would change a person's skin or hair color. Harry thought back to his argument with the twins.

Maybe one _minor_ prank wouldn't hurt.

He grabbed two pieces of parchment, quill and ink and began copying the spell down. On the other piece, he copied down the counter-spell.

"What _are_ you doing?" Sev asked.

"Nothing," Harry replied. Sev snorted, but didn't comment.

Without closing the book, Harry got up and left.

Sev rolled his eyes. His 'son' was bound to show up sooner or later. He'd make him clean up his own mess.

&

The next morning, a Saturday, Hermione was in the girls bathroom in the Gryffindor tower doing her make up. It was relatively early for a Saturday, and she really wasn't awake yet.

She was almost done when Ginny walked in. Hermione did a double take.

Ginny was _bright pink_!!! (And it clashed horribly with her hair).

"Umm, Ginny?" Ginny turned to Hermione with half-open eyes. "You might want to look in the mirror."

Ginny took one look in the mirror and let out the shrillest scream Hermione had ever heard. She instinctively ducked and put her hands over her ears.

"Who did this, Hermione?" Ginny asked with tears in her voice.

Hermione glanced to the door, and noticed that several sleepy girls were gathered outside. With a swish of her wand, the door closed and locked.

"I don't know, but do you mind staying in here while I find out?" Ginny shook her head.

Hermione nodded and unlocked the door, and addressed the waiting, wide eyed girls. "Sorry guys. Long story, but please give her her space." They nodded.

Hermione stormed down to the common room where several boys were waiting, and stormed right up to Fred and George. "WHAT DID YOU TWO DO? How DARE you!! That was WAY out of line, even for you two!" Hermione yelled.

"What are you talking about?" George asked.

"Yeah, we haven't done _anything_," Fred clarified.

"Yet," George said.

Hermione looked around the room, and noticed Ron and Harry standing together, and that Harry was trying very hard not to laugh.

She marched up to him and pointed toward the girls' bathroom. "You did that, didn't you?" Harry pulled out the parchment with the spell on it. She looked the piece of paper over, and then held her hand out. "The counter-spell."

"What counter-spell? There's a counter-spell?" Harry asked innocently.

"How dare you do that to her? A spell without a counter-spell? And to Ginny of all people!"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Harry asked. Everyone knew they liked each other, and that was no way to treat a girl that you liked.

Hermione pointed her finger at him as though to scold him, but instead turned around through the portrait hole, muttering something that sounded similar to 'men,' and 'idiots.'

Using secret passages well known and well used by the winter crew to get to Sev's room, she was there in relatively short time.

Sev wasn't in the living room, but she could almost smell a potion being made in his private potions lab.

She then noticed a book open on the table, so she sat down and picked it up.

Her eyes narrowed when she realized that it was the book Harry had found the spell from, and that it did indeed contain a counter-spell.

Going to the guest bedroom, she found parchment, a quill and some ink. Going back to the living room, she copied down the counter-spell.

She was just returning the quill and ink when she got a wonderful idea.

A smile grew on her lips.

Harry was going to pay.

She immediately sat down to research.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta HarryEstel for this wonderful idea for a prank, as well as for everything she's done for this fic and me.

A/N2: From here on in, the chapters are going to get shorter, so if everyone who doesn't have their email address on their login page could leave their email that would be great. I don't to make the chapter double the length with replies and thank yous. Time will (and has, in case you haven't noticed) be speeding up very soon, but that's just because I want to get to the climax, so please bear with me. Thanks guys!

A/N3: What happened to some of my reviewers, like starangel2106, and athenakitty? Are you guys still there?

Thanks to everyone who reviewed:Jade Sierra Snape( ), Lady Lily3, sphinx12, jbfritz, Jennifer( ), Aqua Mage, ShadowedHand, SammyBlack80, shelly101( ), Angel Horse, CharmedKy, Angel Horse,

Replies to reviewers:

Linker27: I know it was resolved quickly, but I'm trying to keep the plot moving. See above.

leggylover03: Your aw moment won't be coming for a very, very long time, but it will be there.

opal( ): Harry and Ginny get together in the next chapter, and its been written for a long time, but I really like your idea. Draco and Avery are together.

AuroraAbbie Snape: They get together in the next chapter.

beauty78900102: I'm almost to the climax, but I don't know where its going to end. I already have one sequel planned when everyone is grown, but I might decide to do more ficlets, I'm just not sure where the story will end.


	52. As Long as it Happens to Someone Else

Chapter Fifty-two: …As Long as it Happens to Someone Else 

It had been a couple of hours since Sev had first entered his lab, and when he left it, he was shocked to see Hermione sitting on his couch, and several books were on the table in front of her. He sat down on a chair next to her.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Nothing," she answered absently while reading.

Sev sighed and waited a couple of seconds. "What are you doing Hermione?"

"Research," she answered in the same voice.

"Un-hun. What kind of research?"

"I'm looking for a spell that…" she stopped, and looked at Sev.

"Yes?"

Hermione just stared at Sev with wide eyes. "It's not important," she finally said.

Sev leaned back and crossed his arms. "Why do I get the feeling that _it_ has to do with Harry?" Rather than answer, she turned back to her reading, and Sev rolled his eyes. "Just…don't hurt him," Sev said while getting up.

"I won't," Hermione answered. Once Sev was out of hearing range, Hermione said, "Physically."

Once Hermione found the spell she would need, she raced back up to the fourth year's dorms. Ginny was lying face down, and her shoulders were shaking. Hermione muttered the spell to undo the pink, and snatched up a hand mirror.

She sat down on the bed next to Ginny, tapped her on the shoulder, and held out the mirror. "Here."

Ginny sat up and looked at her reflection. Her eyes went wide. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you," she said, pulling Hermione into a hug.

Hermione and Ginny spent the rest of the day plotting revenge, and just talking and laughing.

The next morning, when Harry looked in the mirror in the bathroom, he nearly let out a scream when he realized that his face was blue. Bright, neon blue. He looked at his hands; they were also blue.

He focused his wandless magic on his body and concentrated on making the blue go away. When he opened his eyes, he was still blue!! He tried to remember what the spell was to get rid of the color, but for the life of him he couldn't.

He stomped down to the common room, which was relatively empty, except for Ginny and Hermione.

When they saw him, they burst into hysterics.

Harry strode up to them. "Why won't my wandless magic work!" he nearly yelled.

"I found a spell that stops wandless magic from working," Hermione managed to sputter out.

"Then where's the counter-spell?! I know you have it around here somewhere!"

After several more seconds of cracking up, Ginny took a piece of paper out of her robes and handed it to Harry.

Harry snatched it and strode up to his dorm to remove the blue from his skin.

The rest of the weekend passed in relative quiet. Ron and Harry refused to speak with Hermione and Ginny, and the girls refused to speak with them.

On Monday, however, when Ron and Hermione entered the common room late at night, they were shocked to see Ginny in Harry's lap. They were whispering in each other's ears and occasionally planting kisses on the other's cheeks.

Ron scanned the common room until he found the twins. They locked eyes, and nodded slightly to each other. Ron barely heard Hermione say "I guess they made up."

Later that night, when Harry was about to enter his dorm room, someone clamped a hand over his mouth and pulled him to a corner.

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful beta HarryEstel.

A/N2: Please don't forget to review, and leave your email if you don't have your email when you login. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and if I didn't email you, I'm sorry, and I give you permisson to yell at me. lol

Replies to reviewers:

opal( ): I've said 'she' for Avery, but it really doesn't matter. And Remus trust's Snape. He would have no reason to watch Harry like a hawk. Harry and Dumbledore trust him, and I think thats enough for Remus. Plus, he's seen Harry and Snape together. I think he gets it.

beauty78900102: Whats the last part of your email?

jennifer( ), shelly101( ) : Please don't forget to leave me your email if you review this chapter.

Death( ): Its something funny that helps to get Harry and Ginny together. Its also the light, happy thoughts before my story turns dark. But I hope you're still reading.


	53. Dubious Honors

Chapter Fifty-three: Dubious Honors

Fear clamped over Harry's heart. He could do nothing as he was almost slammed into a wall hidden by shadows.

He was about to attack with wandless magic when he realized that he was surrounded by Ron, Fred and George. He put a hand over his heart and let out a breath. He put his hands on his knees lowered his head to try and catch his breath. "You guys scared me."

"Good," Ron said with an edge to his voice.

Harry straightened up immediately. "What?"

The three Weasley's took one simultaneous step closer to Harry.

"If you ever…"

"…Even _think_ about hurting her…"

"…Physically or emotionally…"

"…You will have every Weasley sibling to answer to."

"And believe me when I say…"

"…That that will be…"

"…A very…"

"…Painful…"

"…Experience."

"Got that?"

Harry looked closely at the three Weasleys. Each of them had a very dangerous glint in his eyes. Harry nodded. "Yeah. I got that."

The glint seemed to leave their eyes. "Good."

"You've been planning this, haven't you?" Harry asked.

The three brothers grinned. "Oh, yes. All six of us have that whole speech memorized," Ron said.

"We just happened to have the dubious honors of reciting it to Ginny's first boyfriend," Fred explained.

"Doubtful honors?" Harry asked.

George wacked Fred upside the head. "_Brilliant_."

"Does this mean were still friends?"

"Of course. We just had to make sure you understood the rules of dating Ginny," Ron said.

"Don't hurt her?" The three nodded. "Gotcha."

&

That night, Harry had a vision. When it was over, Voldemort called Lucius over to him, but once again, Harry was too far away to tell what they were saying. He hurried over to them. The last time he couldn't hear what was being said, the results were disastrous. But by the time he reached them, Lucuis had apparated away, effectively ending the vision.

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful beta HarryEstel.

A/N2: My roomie, Abbey, coined the phrase 'doubious honors,' but I don't think she knew what it meant. lol. And please don't forget to leave your email addresses!

A/N3: I HAVE OVER 700 REVIEWS, and CharmedKy was my 700! MANY MANY THANKS!! I never thought I would get any where near this many. Thank you everyone!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed: HecateDeMort, Aqua Mage, CharmedKy, Jennifer( ).

If you didn't get an email, I'm sorry.


	54. Point of No Return

A/N: Please read A/N at the end, as it does contain somewhat important info.

Chapter Fifty-four: Point of No Return

April and May passed, for the fifth years anyway, in a haze of furious studying. The H.A was mainly used for review, and very little new material was learned. After all, come the end of May, fifth years would be taking O.W.L.'s.

The only welcome respite came around the middle of May when Gryffindor and Slytherin once again faced each other on the Quidditch field. This time, Harry and Draco started trading friendly barbs before the match.

Their two houses, however, were going at each other for real. Small scuffles even broke out in the hallways. When the day of the actual game, Harry and Draco were quite relaxed, but the Slytherins and Gryffindors were ready to kill each other.

Both teams played admirably and ferociously. The beaters and chasers worked well with the players of their own teams.

However, it all came down to which team had the better seeker.

Three of the four houses erupted into cheers of joy when Harry caught the snitch, not that it was all that unexpected.

&

O.W.L's and N.E.W.T's finally arrived, and the fifth and seventh years were under major stress, but none more than Hermione. Not only did she feel that she had to study for herself, she felt she had to make sure that her two best friends were studying as well.

The night, they were finished and all four houses threw major parties.

Harry, however, was not enjoying the festivities. He was much too worried about something he hadn't allowed himself to be worried about in a long time.

Grabbing his invisibility cloak, he went down to Sev's quarters. Sev was, quite predictably, reading a book, so Harry sat down on the couch.

Sev marked his place and set the book down. "What's on your mind?" Sev asked.

Harry took a breath. "I haven't had a vision for a couple of months," he finally admitted.

"You _what_?! Why didn't you say anything?"

"I'm sure Dumbledore knows. I haven't told him about any visions for the past two months."

"I wish you would have said something Harry." Harry could hear the disappointment in Sev's voice, and it broke his heart.

Harry studied his hands. "I know. I'm sorry." Harry finally looked up at Sev. "But I have a theory."

Sev moved forward in his chair. "Oh?"

Harry also moved forward. "I thought back to all the times that I had visions, and I realized they all took place when there was a summoning. What if Voldemort some how realized that the Order knew about plans when ever there was a summoning, versus a meeting where there was no summoning. By stopping summoning, he cuts off the only way the Order can get its news, through me. The last time I had a vision, Voldemort pulled Lucius aside, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. I'll bet that it was how to arrange a meeting without summoning."

Sev had a pensive look on his face. "There's an Order meeting tonight. I'll tell Dumbledore before hand." He glanced at the clock. "Which means I'll have to leave now." When he was at the door, he turned around and said "Bye Harry. See you later."

Harry got a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something bad was about to go down.

"Bye," Harry said. The door closed. "Dad."

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful beta, HarryEstel for everything she's done for this fic.

A/N2: This marks a major turning point in this story, in case you haven't figured that out by the title. From this point on, my story will be changing, and the rating will be going up, do to one chapter, and something that will be mentioned later on, but never stated outright. Now that I have throughly confused all of you, here is the warning: if you don't like violence, or mentions of very brutal 'adult situations,' now would be a good place to stop. It will end up OK in the end, but its going to get bad. Just a warning.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, but those of you who left email addresses have already been thanked: HecateDeMort, Jennifer(  )

opal( ): In my stories he sees visions from a distance. I think I mentioned that before, in an indirect way, though. Besides, if he saw it through Voldies eyes, where would my plot be! lol

beauty78900102: Lets make this easy, are you yahoo or hotmail.


	55. The Board is Set

Chapter Fifty-five: The Board is Set… 

When Sev entered the room where Order meetings took place, he was shocked to see the amount of people there. It looked as though the entire Order was gathered, which was unheard of. There was even a black dog following Lupin around!

Sev weaved his way around various Aurors and Order members before reaching Dumbledore, who looked at him with that damn twinkle in his eye.

"What can I do for you, my boy?" Dumbledore asked Sev. Sev explained what Harry had just told him, while Dumbledore just nodded. "I had a feeling that that was the case. Please, sit down Severus. The meeting is about to begin," Dumbledore said.

Sev sat down in the only vacant chair. Dumbledore stood up, and all talking immediately stopped. "I would like to thank all of you for coming here today. The reason you are all here is because you accepted my request that you stay at Hogwarts over the next couple of weeks. As I have explained to those of you who asked, I can not reveal the reason, only that it is quite imparative. I must ask the staff to be courteous and pleasant to our guests, and I must ask our guests that they stay out of the way of the general school population." He looked pointedly at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. "Even those of you who have children here. I must also ask some of you who don't have children here to accompany the students to Hogsmeade this Sunday. Is everyone clear?" Everyone, except McGonagall, nodded.

"Professor, are you sure it's a good idea to let the children go?" she asked.

"Yes. This is something they have been very much looking forward to. It will very much relieve the stress and tension that final exams create." He snapped his fingers, and several house-elves appeared. "They will show you to your rooms."

Once everyone but McGonagall, Lupin, Hagrid, Black, Flitwick, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and Sev left, they all converged around Dumbledore.

"This has something to do with Harry, doesn't it?" Sev asked.

Dumbledore sighed, and sat down, motioning for them to do the same. "Yes, I'm afraid it does. But I can't tell you more than that," Dumbledore said, looking and sounding every one of his years.

"Oh yes you can. And you will. We care about Harry, and we want to know what lies in store for him," Mrs. Weasley said, going into full mother mode.

Dumbledore looked each of them in the eye. "There is a prophecy that basically states either Harry will kill Voldemort, or Voldemort will kill Harry. If Harry succeeds in killing Voldemort, the war will end. But if Voldemort does, the war will drag on for many, many more years," Dumbledore said.

Everyone sat in shocked silence before Mrs. Weasley burst into tears. "I don't want Harry to die," she said between sobs.

Sev fixed her with his most condescending look. "Harry's not going to die."

"Why don't we just keep a tighter watch on him over the next couple of days," McGonagall said.

"No!" Dumbledore said so fiercely that everyone jumped. He visibly calmed himself. "No. We must let him go about his daily routine. Stopping him would be interfering with prophecy. We can not let that happen. Now what ever will happen will happen, and I don't want any of you to try to stop it. I want all of you to go and get a good night's rest, if you can." They nodded. Dumbledore snapped his fingers, and a house elf appeared. Dumbledore said to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, "He will show you to your quarters."

Everyone knew a dismissal when they saw one.

A/N: I would like to thank my bff, my 'sis,' my 'sam,' and my beta HarryEstel for helping me with this fic.

Disclaimer: I got the title from LOTR: ROTK.  Standard disclaimer.  Not mine, etc.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I'm sorry if I didn't email you: Aqua Mage, Jennifer(  ),

Replies to reviewers:

HecateDeMort: That's very interesting.  I never really thought of his visions that way, but I guess that would be a good way to describe them.

opal(  ): I'm glad that makes sense!

beauty78900102: It says that your email doesn't exist.  Is it ?


	56. The Pieces are Moving

A/N 2-11-08: Hello all! To those of you who are reading this for the first time, I FINALLY got around to doing something I've been meaning to do for ages: this chapter through chapter 69 have been consolidated to two chapters that you will find at the end of the story. So, if you don't want to read super short chapters, got there for the next couple of chapters.

Thanks! enb2004

Chapter Fifty-six: . . . The Pieces are Moving

That Sunday, Voldemort stood surveying his Death Eaters; all of them were gathered around him.

"Welcome, my loyal Death Eaters. I hope you all know what it is that you have to do come tomorrow?" Several people nodded. Voldemort turned to a shaking Lucius. The man was still not recovered from the long time Voldemort had been forced to use the _cruciatus_ on him. "How goes your work on the wards?"

"Complete, my Lord. Apparating on the grounds outside will be no problem," he answered.

"What about the castle?" Voldemort asked.

"The wards are still perfect around the castle, my Lord. Please, forgive me," Lucius said.

Rather than answer, Voldemort turned to the Hogwarts aged Death Eaters. "All of you know where you will be staying tonight, correct?" All of them nodded. "Good. Youre all dismissed."

When they were all gone, he smiled. Everything was going according to plan.

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful beta HarryEstel.

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer to the title.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: HecateDeMort, shelly101( ), Jennifer( ),

opal( ): Things are not always as they seem. muahaha.


	57. The Calm Before the Storm

Chapter Fifty-seven: The Calm Before the Storm

When the winter crew reached Hogsmeade, everyone split up, but decided to meet in the Three Broomsticks for lunch. Harry, Ron, and Draco wandered together. Ginny and Avery went as a group, and the twins spent the day in Zonko's. Hermione was in desperate need of alone time. Everyone else thought of that as a good excuse for her to spend the whole day in the bookstore.

Ron, Harry and Draco had been wandering around for about an hour when, out of no where, Harry got the worst headache ever. He bit down on his tounge to resist the urge to scream. He tried to make the headache go away like he had before, but it didn't work. After what felt like several agonizing minutes, the pain slowly went away. All that was left was a dull ache behind his eyes.

When Harry finally opened his eyes, he realized he was on the ground. Except, he didn't remember how he got there. One person on each side of him helped him up. He heard the person on his right say something loud, but he couldn't really tell what it was.

The person on his right, somewhere in the back of his mind he realized that it was Ron, asked him if he was alright. Harry just nodded, and the two hand that were holding him up let go.

When Harry's eyes finally focused, he was able to register what the pain behind his eyes was. It was almost as though someone, a presence, was there, watching out of his eyes. Harry tried to figure out what it was, and then to get it out, but he couldn't.

When lunch time rolled around, Hermione didn't show up. Everyone waited and waited, but she never came.

When everyone gathered to go back to Hogwarts, Hermione was, once again, a no-show. Worried, Harry found Sev, and said, "None of us know where Hermione is."

"What? What do you mean, 'you don't know where Hermione is?' Didn't you guys spend the day with her?" he asked, getting madder and madder the more he talked.

"No. She needed alone time. She's been studying way too hard for two months. The girl needed a break," Harry explained.

Sev growled under his breath and shook his head. "Very well. I'll talk to Dumbledore."

By the time it got dark, everyone knew that Hermione and almost every fifth, sixth and seventh year Slytherin had gone missing. What no one knew was that a search party had been formed only to find Hermione. If they could find Hermione, that would probably lead them to the Slytherins. And Voldemort.

The entire winter crew was beyond worried. They had asked to be allowed a part of the search party, but weren't allowed. All they could do was sit in their common rooms and trade increasingly wild stories about where she could have gone.

They all felt powerless.

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful beta, HarryEstel.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: Jennnifer( ), HecateDeMort, shelly101( ), opal( ),


	58. Deep Breath Before the Plunge

Chapter Fifty-eight: Deep Breath Before the Plunge

That night, Harry couldn't sleep. Because of the wild stories the common room had come up with, he had horrible dreams, and he kept waking up.

He crawled out of bed when breakfast would first be laid out, grabbed his broom and left a note for Ron telling him where he would be. Classes had been canceled and a get together for the fifth years in McGonagall's class had been arranged. He really didn't want to go to that. Especially since Hermione had gone missing.

After scarfing down breakfast, he nearly ran to the Quidditch pitch. The freedom of flying with no one around was beyond liberating. It had been forever since he'd been able to fly by himself. He flew and he flew and he flew, completely wearing himself out. He had absolutely no idea how long he flew for, nor did he care. All that mattered to him was the feeling of freedom.

There was still the nagging feeling that someone was watching through his eyes, but he tried his best to ignore the feeling. Mainly because there was nothing he could do about it.

When he felt as though he would fall off of his broom from exhaustion and happiness, he landed. He wandered around, enjoying the cool morning breeze. When he got tired of walking, he leaned against a tree in the Forbidden Forrest.

All of a sudden, he got that strange feeling that someone was watching him, and the pain behind his eyes disappeared. As he was reaching for his wandless magic so he could see who it was, his world exploded in agony.

A/N: I would like to thank my beta, HarryEstel.

A/N2: I HAVE 800 REVIEWS!! MANY MANY THANKS to ALL of my reviewers, especially Lanetha Mercion, my 800th reviewer! I love all of you guys!

Disclaimer: I got the title from a line in LOTR:ROTK. Standard disclaimer, don't own it, etc.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: HecateDeMort, shelly101( ),

opal( ): Who would be using the polyjuice potion?


	59. Is This It?

Chapter Fifty-nine: Is This It?

Once Harry realized that it was the _cruciatus_ that he was feeling, he was able to channel it into the sword.

When he was free of the pain, he turned around, and looked right into the red eyes of Lord Voldemort himself.

And laughed.

He held his arms out and said, "Is this it? Is this all the mighty Tom Riddle can handle? A lousy _cruciatus_?"

Voldemort's face turned into an ugly sneer, and he said, with the utmost malice, "Oh, by no means is this my best. You will pay for all you have done for me in the most painful ways!"

Rather than reply, Harry took a deep breath, touching his wandless magic. He kept his eyes locked on Voldemort's, so he wouldn't notice Harry's hand move to his sword and slowly drew it.

For the first time ever, he could _feel_ what Sev had meant by instinct. The power and the magic that came from wandless magic and the sword took Harry's breath away. He cleared his mind of all thoughts, and allowed instinct to take over.

He brought the width blade up to his forehead and allowed the cool steel to touch his head. In so doing, the _cruciatus_ reflected off the sword and back to the caster.

The force caused Voldemort to be thrown back. Harry brought the sword down to his side and let the tip barely touch the ground.

Voldemort picked himself up and strode until he was mere feet from Harry. A grin crept onto Harry's face. Voldemort was making this all too easy.

Harry brought the sword up so that the length was parallel to the ground and level with the base of Voldemort's neck.

"Go to hell, mudblood!" Harry yelled. Voldemort's eyes widened as Harry brought his sword down.

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful beta, HarryEstel.

Disclaimer: I got the chapter title from LOTR:TT. Standard disclaimer.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed:

opal( ) rachel( ) sphinx12 kats( ) 

Replies to reviewers:

nogoalielikeme: The story won't be ending for a long while, and I know for sure there's going to be at least one sequel. 


	60. The Worst has Happened

Chapter Sixty: The Worst has Happened

Ron entered the Transfiguration classroom extremely depressed. He needed Harry with him now, but the git decided to go flying. Not that Ron could blame him.

After letting Professor McGonagall know that Harry was flying, he sat down near a window. Draco sat down next to him, but he didn't say anything, which was what Ron needed just then.

They sat there for a long time, neither saying anything. They were both too lost in thoughts to do much talking.

After a long time, Ron looked out the window. His eyes bulged. He rubbed them vigorously. What he was seeing couldn't be right, could it? Voldemort _couldn't _be standing on school grounds, and Harry _couldn't _be calmly facing him. It just wasn't possible.

He got up and discreetly steered McGonagall to the window. She paled.

She took out her wand and transfigured the glass to brick so that no one could see out of it, and ushered Ron and Draco outside.

Ron had to hand it to her. She was doing a remarkable job at staying calm. "I want to two to split up, and run to each classroom, except the North Tower. I'll leave it up to you who goes where. Tell all the teachers 'The worst has happened.' Then go to your common rooms." She turned to a wide-eyed Snuffles. "Don't leave Draco's side, got that?" The dog nodded. McGonagall turned on her heel and left.

"I'll take the north and east side of the castle, you take south and west. You know that McGonagall went to alert Dumbledore, who's gonna alert members of the Order. We should help them fight!" Ron said, trying to sound braver than he felt.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Draco screeched.

"No! This is what we've been training for , haven't you realized that? Look, if you've got the guts to help the Order members, meet me in the Main Hall when you're done talking to the teachers. If you want to hide in the common room, be my guest. But just know that once you step foot in the common room, no one's gonna let you out again," Ron said, becoming braver the more he talked.

Draco sighed and nodded. "Alright. I'll meet you there."

The two boys split up. In the Charms classroom, the last classroom he had to go to, Draco saw that it was the Slytherin and Gryffindor fourth years. Once Flitwick dismissed the class to go to their common rooms, Draco pulled Ginny and Avery aside. "Voldemort's on school grounds, and Ron and I are going to go fight him. Do you two want to come?" Draco asked. Both nodded.

Ron bumped into the twins in DADA and told them basically the same thing. They also nodded.

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful beta, HarryEstel.

Thank everyone who reviewed:

HecateDeMort, Jennifer( )

Replies to reviewers:

nogoalielikeme: Hehe, I'd laugh too!

opal( ): It's meant to echo chapter seventeen, when Sev says "I'll see you in hell mudblood," Sorry if that was confusing. I was going to put something in there to show that Voldie recognized it, but it didn't quite flow. 


	61. Time Slowed Down

Chapter Sixty-one: Time Slowed Down

Harry could feel the sword moving. In that instant, for Harry, time slowed down.

He could hear the tip of the blade whistling; see it move inexorably toward its goal.

The blade pierced the skin of Voldemort's neck. His time was up. He couldn't move fast enough. There was no spell that would stop the inevitable.

Blood began to spray. Harry could have counted the drops.

The blade continued to cut through Voldemort's neck like a knife through tissue paper. More blood sprayed. The air was thick with it.

The blade reached the throat and spinal cord. Small bits of white became mixed in with the blood.

The blade cleared the spine, and the blood became pure red once again.

The sword made it to the other side of Voldemort's neck.

Abruptly as the spray of blood began, it stopped.

For a full second that felt like an eternity, nothing moved.

Slowly, Voldemort's head fell back, and landed with a soft _thud_.

His body followed. There was a bump where the body had landed on top of the head.

Time sped back up.

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful beta, HarryEstel.

A/N2: I got the idea for how to do this chapter from Terry Goodkind's Wizard's First Rule. Incredible series! Standard disclaimer.

I would like to thank everyone who reviewed:

HecateDeMort, nogoalielikeme, Jennifer( ), Lady Urquentha, opal( )


	62. Vengance is Sweet

Chapter Sixty-two: Vengeance is Sweet

Harry looked down at his sword. It was covered in blood; small drops were falling from the tip.

Harry got on his knees and reverently wiped the blade of blood.

A realization hit Harry so hard, had he not already been on his knees, he would have fallen to them

Voldemort was dead.

No matter what happened from this point on, the war was over.

His parents deaths; Cedric's death; the deaths of all of those whose lives had been senselessly taken since the war had begun; all their deaths were avenged. None of them had died in vain.

Voldemort was dead.

No one else could die at his hand.

Voldemort was dead; and Harry was free.

No more would Harry have to spend every moment thinking about Voldemort, training for his defeat, for he had just met defeat. Harry could live his life for himself.

Harry was free!

There was a rush of wind. Harry looked up.

He was surrounded by black.

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful beta, HarryEstel.

A/N2: I know my chapters are short,_** but I did warn you guys.**_ _**Please stop complaining, and just enjoy the story.**_

Thanks to everyone who reviewed (who didn't leave an email _**hint hint**_):

LadyGallateaRavenclaw( ), HecateDeMort, nogoalielikeme, GinnyGin( ),

Replies to reviewers:

Aqua Mage: Its meant to be an echo of what Sev said in Chapter Seventeen. And he's half muggle.


	63. All Hell Broke Loose

Chapter Sixty-three: All Hell Broke Lose

Death Eaters! He was surrounded by Death Eaters!

Harry was on his feet quicker than lightning. He put both hands on his sword, ready to fight.

But none of them moved.

Right in front of him, two people appeared.

One of them was Hermione!

But she was gagged, and she had a knife at her throat. Harry looked up to see a grinning Lucius Malfoy.

Hermione began to struggle. Small drops of blood began to form around the knife at her throat.

"Stop struggling Hermione!" Harry said. She did. Small tears began to fall.

"I see you managed to kill my Lord. But you see, there is one advantage to that," Lucius said to Harry in that silky smooth voice laced with malice.

"And that would be?" Harry asked in a growl.

"That gives us an excuse to make your death so much more painful." He lowered his face so that he was speaking into Hermione's ear, but he never took his eyes off of Harry. "And the deaths of your loved ones." Hermione began to sob, and the arm Lucius had around her stomach tightened.

"If you hurt . . ." Harry started to say.

"You'll do what? Kill me?" Lucius said mockingly, and laughed.

Harry raised his sword so that a blade was facing the ground, and in one swift motion cut off Lucius' arm that had the knife at Hermione's throat. He dropped to the ground, and a feral yell escaped his lips.

Hermione ripped off the gag, and picked up the knife, his wand, and hunted though Lucius' robes to find her wand.

She stood next to Harry.

And all hell broke lose.

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful beta, HarryEstel.

A/N2: Just to clarify: I meant free as in emotionally free.

A/N3: I'm finally going home!! I haven't been home since August! I also don't think I'll be able to update for while, but that doesn't mean you should forget about reviewing! Please review!!

I HAVE OVER 900 REVIEWERS!!!! I never thought I would get even close to that amount!! Especially much thanks to jbfritz for being my 900 reviewer! Much thanks to every reviewer who made these 900 possible!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: nogoalielikeme, Jennifer, opal, Aqua Mage, HecateDeMort, shelly101( ), CharmedKy,


	64. Might We be of Assistance?

Chapter Sixty-four: Might We be of Assistance?

Harry and Hermione turned toward the school. Almost every teacher, the winter crew, the H.A, and several Aurors were all running at full blast down the hill. They were firing curses left and right. Several Death Eaters who couldn't through up shields fast enough fell.

Harry and Hermione took full advantage of the Death Eaters momentary lapse and began to fight with all of their might. With his sword gripped tightly in both hands and nearly lethal wandless magic, Harry cut at everything in sight. He aimed not to kill, but if they ended up dieing, Harry would not have that blood on his hands.

He spared a glance at Hermione. She was not only using her wand to fire extremely well aimed curses, but was using Lucius' knife with remarkable accuracy and ease.

Suddenly, someone lowered his hands, grabbed him by the waist, and forcefully led him out of the middle of the circle of Death Eaters. Harry started to struggle, angry that the intoxicating flow of wandless magic had been stopped.

Then he looked up to see who it was who had him.

It was Sev! And McGonagall had a hold of Hermione.

Once they were past the Death Eaters, Harry immediately threw up a nearly impenetrable, nearly unbreakable, one-way shield over everyone so that magic could only hit the Death Eaters, and began once again fiercely hacking at Death Eaters. Hermione must have gotten the idea, because she continued to use her knife.

The day continued on like that. Rarely were the Death Eaters able to get through Harry's shield, but when they did, the results were disastrous.

The Death Eaters weren't all that accustomed to making shields, so theirs weren't as good. Many more Death Eaters fell that day.

When the sun was starting to set, even the Light Side had taken some pretty nasty blows. Harry was tapping into unknown strengths to keep his sword moving, but he somehow managed to do so.

And the battle raged on.

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful beta, HarryEstel, who is coming out to see me from the 26-29!! :authoress does a little dance: So I probably won't be updating till the 30.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: HecateDeMort, Aqua Mage, Jennifer( ), nogoalielikeme, beauty78900102, Nicole( ), shelly101( ), EarthDragon( ),

Replies to reviewers:

MysticSong1978: You like my story!! I love yours as well!

opal( ): When she went by herself in Hogsmeade. 


	65. Waiting for the Dawn

Sixty-five: Waiting for the Dawn

When night finally set in, both sides conceded to an uneasy truce. Each settled to an opposite side of the battle field. Both had taken heavy injuries, but the Death Eaters had much more damage than the Light.

On the side of the battle field where the Light made camp, a mini potions lab had been set up. All of the potions that had been made over the summer had already been used, and working out of a potions lab inside of the school was too far away from the battle site.

All of the winter crew was working on two potions at once, Harry was working on three, and Sev on four.

The H.A. was also pulling their weight. Those who were gifted in potions were cutting up plants that would be needed, a couple were dispensing the potions according to Madame Pomphrey's instructions, several were cleaning out used cauldrons and phials, and still more were ladling in finished potions into cleaned phials.

A couple hours before dawn, all potions were made, an almost everyone who was injured had been cured and were curled up somewhere, sleeping. Those that needed more help than could be given had been transported by train to St. Mungo's, as any other form of travel would have made their injuries worse.

The summer crew and H.A. finally were able to rest. Most had a little something to eat before curling up to rest.

Before sleeping, though, Harry found Sirius. "How are you able to be out here? Won't people recognize you?" Harry asked his godfather.

Sirius grinned lopsidedly. "Minerva, Professor McGonagall to you, found a handy spell. Those who know of my innocence will see me for me. Those who don't know of my innocence will simply see me as someone who they think they might know from somewhere. The only draw back is that it can only be used once, and for a limited time, 72, hours, max."

"Hhmm, interesting. I'll have to ask her about that later." And Harry curled up under a blanket and went to sleep.

A/N: I would like to thank my beta, HarryEstel.

A/N: I'm pleased to announce that I have two sequels planned. One will most likely be called "A new power is rising," and will take place the year after Harry graduates from Hogwarts. The second one will take place about five years or so after the trio graduates from Hogwarts, and will be called "A sorta fairytale" But it's going to be very short, only three or four chapters, most likely.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: HecateDeMort, opal( ), Jennifer( ),

Replies to reviewers:

Aqua Mage: Because 'doing so well' in the middle of a ring of Death Eaters was a death trap.


	66. The Sun is Rising

Chapter Sixty-six: The Sun is Rising

Harry felt as though he'd just fallen asleep, when someone started shaking him to wake up. He forced his eyes open, and looked up to see who had woken him. Sev disappeared out of his line of sight just as Harry opened his eyes.

Next to him on his left, he heard Sev whisper, "Draco wake up."

Harry rubbed his eyes and forced himself to sit up. Turing to his right he saw Ron struggling to get up. Standing up, Harry stretched. He looked around the area where the Light had camped out. People were starting to stir. The east was just starting to have a pink hue to it.

Harry made his way around people who were waking up to the edge of the Light side's camp, where the battle had taken place. He could clearly make out the line between the Light side and the Dark side. There was blood red line, and the Death Eaters side was soaked with blood. There were only small specks of blood on the Light's side. Harry must have done more damage with his sword than he thought. Hermione had also done surprisingly well, when he thought back to the brave girl who had fought next to him.

Past where the battle had taken place, Harry could just make out the Dark side's camp. They were also beginning to stir.

The sun was now fully risen.

The sky and the sun had a red tint to them.

Blood will be spilled today.

A/N: I would like to thank my beta, HarryEstel.

A/N2: I'm going to my mom's, who doesn't have internet, and I don't know how long I'm going to be there for. So I don't know when I'll be able to update again. But don't forget to review!!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: HecateDeMort, opal( ), Jennifer( ),

Replies to reviewers:  
nogoalielikeme: As you can see, the battle is not over.

Aqua Mage: Don't worry about it, you're not annoying. At this point, they really can't say they're innocent. They're already in the middle of a battle. Whether they die or live, everyone will know that they are Death Eaters. Is that what you're asking?  



	67. Side by Side

Chapter Sixty-seven: Side by Side

How long Harry stood there, gazing at the battle field, he didn't know, but it was by someone coming to stand next to him. He looked out of the corner of his eye to see who had come to stand next to him. It was Draco.

"I talked to Dumbledore," Draco said after a moment of silence.

Harry didn't look at Draco, but kept his attention on the field in front of him. "What did he have to say?"

"He wants you to be in the front. Is that alright?"

"Why doesn't he ask me himself?"

"Well. . . he seemed busy. I guess he just saw me first." Harry just nodded. "How can you be so . . .calm?" Draco asked.

"What's the point in worrying? What will happen will happen," Harry stated.

Draco gulped. "Do you think we're going to die?" Draco asked.

Harry glanced at Draco out of the corner of his eye. "Sev trained us well. If we use what he taught us, I don't think so. But don't worry; I'll stand by your side for as long as I can."

Draco chuckled. "If I do die, I never thought I would die standing side by side a Gryffindor."

Harry finally turned to look at Draco, a smirk on his face. "How about side by side your brother?"

Draco grinned and nodded. "Yeah. That I could do."

Harry heard someone stand next to him on his other side. He turned, half expecting to see Dumbledore. What he saw instead was a red-eyed Hermione who looked like she'd spent the night crying rather than sleeping. She held her wand in one hand and Lucius' knife in the other so hard her knuckles were white. She was also looking at the battlefield rather than Harry.

"Hermione?" he asked. She turned to face him. "Are you alright?"

She just nodded.

Harry cocked an eyebrow, and turned to Draco, who had leaned forward to watch them. Draco shrugged. When Harry turned to look at Hermione again, she was facing forward, her eyes dry.

A/N: Thanks to my beta, HarryEstel.

Disclaimer: I got the title and some of the wording from LOTR: ROTK. Standard disclaimer.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: HecateDeMort, Jennifer( ), opal( ),

Aqua Mage: Yes, I was already planned that they would be coming at a certain time.


	68. Become Who You Were Born to Be

Chapter Sixty-eight: Become who you were Born to Be

The sun was fully over the horizon when it became black with Death Eaters. Harry automatically put up the same shield he'd used yesterday, but he put more power behind it.

Harry called upon his wandless magic, and drew his sword. When the Death Eaters were fully visible, Harry gave an almighty battle cry and ran forward. He barely registered that others had done the same.

The first Death Eater came upon Harry suddenly, and Harry lopped off the Death Eater's arm.

And the battle continued, even more fiercely than it had the day before. The Death Eaters, despite their diminished ranks, seemed to have something to prove.

On and on the battle raged, without any sign of letting up. Harry forced himself to put more power behind his sword. He did not want this battle to go on yet another day.

He was focusing so hard on the instinct that would guide his sword, he neglected his personal shield.

His body suddenly exploded in pain. He tried to use is wandless magic, his instinct, to make it go away while trying to fight at the same time. But his vision started to go blurry, so he ducked out of the battle, and made his way to where they'd made camp the night before.

Once he was clear of the battle, he sheathed his sword and rubbed his eyes to try to make the blurriness go away, but it didn't. He put is hands on his thighs and stared at the ground, hoping, praying, that his vision would get fixed. He poured all of his wandless magic behind it.

He realized that he was standing right on the spot where he killed Voldemort. He could tell by the stain on the ground. It looked as though someone had wiped a blade clean, and beyond that the ground was soaked in blood.

He focused on the blood-red grass as what he could see got smaller and smaller, until all he could see was a pin drop of the blood-red grass.

His sight failed him.

Harry closed his eyes, hoping that when he opened them, he would be looking at the grass.

He opened his eyes.

His world was black.

Harry closed his eyes again, this time calling up more wandless magic and instinct than ever before. He drew his sword, and he could feel the power and energy surrounding him increase exponentially.

He focused on expanding his wandless magic to where he knew the battle to be.

And found, through his magic, he could see! Not perfectly, but well enough. He could see auras; if a person was good, their aura was light, but if they were a Death Eater, it was black or dark. He could recognize those he knew well through their individual auras.

He then realized that all of the excess energy and magic he'd been creating had gone to his hand. Harry focused harder on the battle. He 'saw' the magic that was being performed. He could see the strengths and weaknesses of the battle. He suddenly felt the energy in his hand become hot. Hot like fire.

He flung his hand to the Death Eater's side.

And ran to the edge of the battle.

He began fighting harder than he'd ever fought before. He could no longer see, so he had no idea how much damage he was inflicting on the Death Eaters.

Warm drops began to fall on his face, and the more he fought, he harder they fell. Was it rain or blood that was falling?

But Harry was beyond caring. For each Death Eater he hurt would be one less Death Eater that would hurt one of his friends.

He fought and fought, but for how long, Harry didn't know. He could have fought for two minutes or two hours. Time lost meaning a long time ago. Harry threw all of his energy, magical and physical, into fighting.

Suddenly, there was no one in front of him. He could feel the strength in his legs give out, and tried to do something to stop himself from falling, but he couldn't.

Lying down became a welcome relief.

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful beta, HarryEstel.

OH MY GOD!! I DID IT!! I BROKE 1000 REVIEWS!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE, especially ArkMage!! You guys are amazing. I never ever thought I would get anywhere near that amount. THANK YOU ALL AGAIN!!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: HecateDeMort, Aqua Mage, Jennifer( ), debz( )

Replies to reviewers:

Sam( ): I'm honored to be the first HP story you reviewed, and I'm glad that you enjoyed the dialoge in my last chapter.


	69. How Did it Come to This?

Chapter Sixty-nine: How did it Come to This?

Cornelius Fudge sat at his desk, beyond shocked. He couldn't believe the report on his desk. Voldemort had indeed been resurrected, but he was now dead. Several Death Eaters had died, and others were being held at St. Mungo's or a wizarding prison in the middle of nowhere.

He couldn't get his breath, and his chest was starting to hurt.

He slowly raised his eyes to his secretary. "How did it come to this?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

He looked at the list of Death Eaters that had died. Lucius Malfoy was on this list. He had trusted him! Malfoy had said that Voldemort hadn't risen and he blindly believed him!

His left hand was going numb; he flexed it. His chest was hurting even more.

There was a battle on Hogwarts grounds, and students had been a part of it! STUDENTS! Fifth and fourth years!

He groaned as he felt his head hit the table.

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful beta, HarryEstel.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed:

debz( ), HecateDeMort (What do you think?), Aqua Mage, nogoalielikeme, opal( ) 


	70. The Worst is Over Now

Chapter Seventy: The Worst is Over Now

Harry felt safe. By now, he knew what this feeling meant; he was being held by Sev. But Harry realized it was no longer just a safe feeling. He felt love, a love like what a father felt for a son.

Not wanting to open his eyes, he reached for his magic so he could see who was in the room.

But something was stopping him from reaching his magic. So he tried again, and was once again stopped by something. A panic started to well inside of him.

He opened his eyes, but saw nothing. He closed them again.

"Can someone turn on the lights?" he croaked.

From above him, Sev said, "The lights are on, Harry," he said with…was it regret?

"Does that mean… I mean…Am I still…Am I blind?" he asked, trying to work his way around the lump in his throat.

Someone to his right sobbed. "Yes," Sev said.

Harry swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump. "For how long?"

"We don't know. We know it was a cruse, because biologically, your eyes are fine. But we can't find a curse that matches the symptoms. It could be one hour, or it could be the rest of your life," Sev replied.

"Who's here?"

"The winter crew," Sev said, and made a noise in the back of his throat as he continued, "Remus, and your godfather."

"I'm here," Sirius said, taking a hold of his left hand.

"And…um…" Harry had to swallow again, "why can't I touch my magic?"

"During the battle, we think you made 'wizard's fire.' It can only be made by a wizard very strong in instinctual magic. The first time a wizard makes wizard's fire, it causes their magic to be, for lack of a better word, 'hurt.' Your body needs time to 'mend' itself. When we first realized the extent of your powers, we did research back to Merlin's time, where we found references to wizard's fire, and the way to let your body mend itself. It's a kind of necklace that will only attach when the wizard needs it, and will stay on for as long as it needs to. It's also invisible when on the wizard." Sev explained.

"So what you're saying is that you don't know how long I will be blind for, and you don't know how long I will be without magic. Is that right?"

"Basically," Sev said.

From his right, Ginny said, "Oh, Harry!" He felt the bed on his right sink as someone got on it. A warm body snuggled next to his and a head rest on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "You know I'm always here for you, right?" she whispered into his ear. He nodded.

He knew there was nothing he could do about neither his magic nor his sight, so he decided to focus on the present.

"How long have I been asleep?" he asked.

"About a week." Sev answered.

"How did the battle turn out?"

"Only a couple of Aurors died. Dean Thomas and Terry Boot were in the hospital wing for a couple of days, but they're fine now. Almost every Death Eater including, unfortunately, many Hogwarts students, died. Lucius was probably the most interesting death. His arm and his…well…you know…were found cut off. The only problem is we can't seem to find either," Sev said. Harry could tell that that wasn't much of a problem to him.

"Draco, does that mean you get everything?" Harry asked.

"Well, I get the Manor, but I don't get the money till I turn seventeen," Draco replied.

"Pettigrew was also found. Alive," Sirius said, spitting out his former best friend's name.

"Is Fudge going to give you a pardon?" Harry asked.

To Harry's surprise, it was Ron who answered. "Fudge died of a heart attack right after the battle ended. My dad got elected Minister!"

"NO WAY! Congratulations Ron!"

Ron continued, "And yes, he is planning on pardoning Sirius,"

"Congratulations Sirius!"

Sirius squeezed his left hand. "Thanks."

Harry could feel his eyelids getting heavy, so he got himself more comfortable and said, "Good night,"

O

The Blacks had also died, and Sirius was Avery's only living relative, even if it wasn't by blood. He was therefore trying to adopt her.

Fred and George were also making plans to open a joke shop in Diagon Alley.

O

Sometime within the next couple of days, Harry wasn't quite sure for how long, he was in his room in Sev's quarters with all of the winter crew. Except for Hermione.

"It's horrible Harry!" Ginny said.

"What is?" he asked.

"The way Hermione's acting!" Fred said.

"And that way is…." Harry asked.

"She's not talking to anybody!"

"She's not eating…"

"And if she does, it's not very much…"

"And then she runs right out of the Great Hall…"

"She doesn't go to classes."

"She doesn't even want to study!"

"She wouldn't even help research to find out what was wrong with you!"

Everyone had started talking at once, and everyone was talking over everyone else, so Harry had no time to process who was saying what. There was a slight pause, and a very soft, almost inaudible "ouch," followed by a sigh. Had someone just been elbowed into saying something?

"She asked me if I'd ever wanted a younger sibling," Draco said.

"Why would she ask that?" Harry said.

"I don't know!" Draco said.

"What did you say?" Harry asked.

"I said, 'yeah, at one point, when I was younger, but now the winter crew are my siblings.' She didn't say anything in response."

"Do you want to know the worst part, Harry?" Ron asked.

"What?"

"She won't talk to me. She hasn't said two words to me since the final battle. Draco's the only one she's said anything to. She won't even let me get near her. I _love her_ and she's shutting me ou….t." There was a short pause. "Oh…I love her! I really love her! I actually said that out loud!" There was a pause and a sigh. "But how do I help her, if I can't even get close to her!" Ron said. It sounded like he had tears in his voice.

"We'll figure something out, Ron. Don't worry," Harry said.

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful beta, HarryEstel.

A/N2: If anyone's read Terry Goodkind's Wizard's First Rule, you know what happened to Malfoy's...well, you know.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: nogoalielikeme, HecateDeMort, opal( ) (reread the battle), lalallaalalallalalala( ), www.ginnypottercom, Aqua Mage, shelik


	71. The Ones Who Really Matter

Chapter Seventy-one: The Ones Who Really Matter

Arthur Weasley, newly elected Minister of Magic, sat next to Dumbledore. In front of him, almost the entire student body was silently awaiting not only a speech from him, but also the excellent end-of-term feast. There were also several reporters from countries all over the world milling on the walls or taking pictures.

His gaze wandered to the Slytherin table. It seemed strangely empty. But that was to be expected. Most fifth and up, with several exceptions, had turned out to be Death Eaters.

Behind him, on a new slightly raised table, was almost everyone who had fought in the battle that had taken place a week ago, except two people.

Dumbledore stood up. "I would like to introduce to everyone a very fine, brave man, who is finally getting some of the recognition he deserves. Ladies and gentlemen, your Minister of Magic, Arthur Weasley!"

The entire hall exploded with clapping, but none louder than Arthur's family behind him. As he stood up, flashbulbs started going off. He waited till they were done, and then a bit longer before his vision cleared.

"My fellow citizens of Britain, thank you for having me here. I would like to start out by pointing out the fine people behind me, as well as all of the professors. Everyone here, including the fifth years, fought bravely and beyond anyone's expectations. It is because of these Aurors, professors, and students that Hogwarts, and indeed all of Britain, is today safe from the threat of Lord Voldemort." There was a collective intake of breath, but Arthur ignored it. "They all deserve our immense respect. To everyone sitting here, I am awarding Order of Merlin, first class."

The hall once again erupted in cheering, and the cameras once again started flashing. Once the cheering and flashing was done with, Arthur spoke again. "The outcome of this battle, however, rests largely on one person. His contributions took place not only during the battle, but many months before as well. It is because of this one person that the students you see behind me were able to join the battle, and without them, the battle would not have been as much of a success as it was." Arthur's gaze was drawn to the open Great Hall doors. Standing in the middle of them, arm and arm with his daughter, was Harry Potter. Keeping his gaze on the two of them, Arthur said. "I am talking of Harry Potter."

The entire hall in front of him started talking excitedly at once, but the table behind him was silent, except for the scraping of chairs. Arthur turned his head around and saw that everyone at the table had stood up for Harry. When Arthur turned his head back to the Great Hall, he saw Ginny was leading Harry forward. He noticed that Ginny was doing a very good job of not obviously leading him, to make it appear as though he could still see. He was even wearing his glasses. When they reached Arthur, he spoke again. "I would like to bestow upon Harry Order of Merlin, first class for everything he has done to make the battle a success." Harry held out his hand for Arthur to shake, and Arthur did.

"Thank you, Minister," Harry said.

"Please, Harry, call me Arthur." Harry nodded and Ginny lead Harry to an open space at the high table, and sat him down. Arthur smiled to himself; he was glad his daughter had finally gotten together with Harry.

"Before the feast can begin, however, there is one more matter I need to clear up. The matter of Sirius Black." Worried whispers began to spread, but Arthur spoke over them. "Sirius is completely innocent of all crimes for which he was convicted." The whispers got louder and more urgent, but Arthur once again continued to talk, and when he did, the whispers died down. "The betrayal of Lily and James Potter and the murder of thirteen innocent muggles was the work of someone else; Peter Pettigrew." The hall was silenced. "Pettigrew and Sirius both gave testimonies under Vertiserusm, and their stories were corroborated. Pettigrew is currently in a high security prison awaiting the Dementor's Kiss. I would like to stress that Sirius is innocent. Sirius, would you please come up here." Sirius stood up from the table behind Arthur, walked around the staff table until he was standing next to Arthur. Arthur handed Sirius two documents, and said to Sirius, but loud enough for the whole hall to hear, "These are your formal apology papers, as well as your Order of Merlin, first class. It is being awarded not only for services rendered during battle, but also for services before," Arthur turned his head and looked at Draco, who had a boyish grin on his face.

Sirius shook Arthur's hand. "Thank you, Minister, for everything."

"It was my pleasure, Sirius. And please call me Arthur."

Sirius shook his hand even harder. "Thank you Arthur." Sirius left and sat down again.

Arthur sat down as Dumbledore stood up. "Now that we have that out of the way, please, dig in everyone." Food appeared on the tables, and everyone started eating.

There was certainlyno shortage of conversation that night.

A/N: I would like to thank my beta, HarryEstel.

A/N2: I'm sorry for the long speeches, I know how much you guys hate them, but some things just have to be said.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: Jennifer( ),

Replies to reviewers:

HecateDeMort, opal( ), Fae( ): Congrats, you got it right!

nogoalielikeme, Aqua Mage: Close, but no cigar.


	72. Broken

Chapter Seventy-two: Broken

That night, Hermione said the password to the portrait and entered Sev's living quarters. No one was in the living room. "Sev!" she called loudly.

He opened the door that led to Harry's room, and quickly shut it behind him. "No yelling. Harry's sleeping. Do you want to sit with him, though?" Sev asked her. She shook her head. "Would you like to talk?" he asked cautiously. She nodded. He sat down on the couch, and patted the seat next to him. "Come sit." She sat.

Hermione took a deep breath. She knew she _had_ to do this; she just didn't _want _to do this. She'd barely said two words to _anyone_ since….

"I need a favor, Sev," she whispered, not meeting his eyes.

"You know you can ask me, and tell me, anything, right?" he said.

She nodded. "I was wondering if I could stay the summer with you. At least some of it, but maybe all of it," she said.

"Wouldn't you rather spend the time with your parents?" he asked.

She vigorously shook her head. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she forced them back. "I can't…"

"Why? Are they alright? Is everything…" he asked in one worried breath.

"It's not to do with them," she said, barely able to keep the tears at bay.

"Then what…"

"Please, don't ask why. Just…tell me if I stay at Snape Manor? I can't go back to my parents. Not yet," she said. She could feel a tear slide down her face.

"Do they know that you want to stay at my house?"

"I told them I want to, but that I would have to ask you first."

"And they're OK with that?"

Hermione nodded.

"It's fine with me," he said.

"Thank you." She got up and left.

O

After Hermione left, Sev sat on his couch for a long while, contemplating what he'd just seen and heard.

Hermione was not an emotional girl, and he'd never seen her cry. Until recently.

Why on earth would she want to stay at Snape Manor? What was stopping her from wanting to go back to her parents' house? He knew she was close with them.

And why did she suddenly open up? Not that she'd told him anything of real importance, but it was the most anyone had heard her say since before the battle.

She hadn't looked at him either, but that had also become usual behavior since the battle.

Someone, or something, had broken Hermione. He didn't know what, or who, had done it, be he was going to find out. And when he did, who ever had caused such pain to such a strong girl was going to pay. In a major way.

A/N: I would like to thank my wonderful beta, HarryEstel.

A/N2: There is nothing sexual, romantic, or anything going on between Hermione and Sev. He's just worried about her. I like to think he considers himself a father figure to everyone in the winter crew.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: HecateDeMort, Jennifer( ),

Replies to reviewers:

opal( ): I'm not saying nothing (lol!). Youll just have to wait and see!

Aqua Mage: Close, but no cigar!


	73. Going Under

Chapter Seventy-three: Going Under

It was the first day of summer vacation, and Harry, Draco, Hermione and Sev had all arrived at Sev's house.

That night, before bed, Hermione was washing her hands.

She was trying to wash away the memories of…that night. That night when everything had changed for her.

She could still feel the blood and dirt on her hands and arms, on her whole body. No matter how hard or how much she washed, it wouldn't come off. Why wouldn't it come off?

She could feel herself start to cry, but did nothing to stop it. She just kept washing her hands and arms.

Why wasn't the dirt and blood coming off? Why wasn't the memory going away? Why did it have to keep replaying itself over and over in her head? Why did he have to. . .

She couldn't wash away the guilt, the shame, the horror of that night.

She fell to the floor, sobbing. Why did it have to happen? Why? Why! WHY!

She was drowning in her emotions. The pain of that night was too much to handle.

She was crying so hard, she didn't notice that someone had turned off the water at the sink. Nor did she feel when gentle hands and strong arms picked her up and carried her to her bedroom. She didn't feel herself being laid down on her bed, nor did she feel her comforter being placed gently on her.

She didn't feel when a light kiss was placed on her forehead.

She just continued to cry, and once again cried herself to sleep.

A/N: I would like to thank my beta, HarryEstel.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed: Jennifer( ), HecateDeMort

Replies to reviewers:

kit133kat( )YOU GOT IT! The wrong reasons, (he wasn't actually expecting her to live) but hey, someone got it! You're only the second one so far to spell it out. And I love the nick name (Kitkat's mine at camp, just so I don't sound crazy!)

opal( ): Nope.

Aqua Mage: Yes, unfortuantely, she was:(

foreverspinning: Your friend is very smart! lol 


	74. The Truth Shall Set You Free

Chapter Seventy-four: The Truth Shall Set You Free

A couple of days later, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Avery, and Sev were all gathered around Sev's dining room table. Everyone but Hermione had spent a grueling morning battling a very difficult potion in Sev's lab, so sitting down and eating lunch was a welcome relief.

It was the first meal that Hermione was joining everyone for, and she was only sitting at the table because Sev had cast a full-body bind on her and levitated her down to the dinning room. That did not mean, however, that she was actually eating.

Her presence was starting to make everyone rather tense. Small talk was made, as were several attempts to draw her into conversation, and get her to eat, but they were all in vain. She refused to look up, talk, or eat.

It was Ron who finally got to the heart of the issue. "Hermione, we know that something happened to you. Please, tell us. We want to help. You can't keep doing this to yourself!"

Hermione finally looked at Draco. "You're going to have a half-brother," she said with tears in her voice. No one spoke for several, very long seconds.

"What do you mean 'I'm going to have a half-brother?' You can't be…." Draco said.

Hermione nodded, and tears began to stream down her face. "Before the battle, Lucius captured me, and he…." Hermione broke down sobbing.

Once again, no one said anything. Ron put an arm around her shoulders and tried to guide her head to his shoulder, but she wouldn't budge.

Finally, Sev said "Do your parents know?" She shook her head. "Do you plan on telling them anytime soon?" She once again shook her head. Sev stood up and began walking to the door. "Very well. I will bring them here, and if you won't tell them, I will."

Hermione stood up and faced him. "No, please, don't!"

"They have to know," he said quietly.

Unable to say anything more, Hermione sank down to her chair, sobbing once more. Ron put an arm around her shoulders.

No one said anything, for what was there to say?

After several long, agonizing minutes, Sev entered the dining room, closely followed by Hermione's parents.

Her mom immediately kneeled down next to her daughter and hugged her tightly. Hermione hugged back, desperately sobbing into her mom's shoulder. The whole story soon came pouring forth.

When she had finished, Ron asked, "Are you going to keep him?" Hermione nodded.

Without her noticing, he crept out of the dining room and into the living room, where he flooed to his parents' house.

While he was gone, her mom tired to offer her comforting words, but she wasn't hearing any of them. She just continued to cry.

Several minutes later, Ron came back into the room, followed by Molly and Arthur Weasley.

Mrs. Granger looked up when Ron walked in. He mouthed "May I?" She nodded, and reluctantly let go of her daughter.

Ron knelt down in front of Hermione and took her left hand in his. She didn't look at him, but continued to cry.

"Hermione, I have loved you since the moment I first saw you. It just took me five years to realize it." He slid a beautiful, antique ring on to her ring finger of her left hand, and cleared his throat. "Hermione, would you marry me?"

She looked at him in surprise. "What?"

"If you marry me, I'll take your child as mine, and he'll be a Weasley. In every way but blood. We'll use potions and charms and whatever we need to to make him look like a Weasley. And I'll love him as my own. I'll love the both of you for as long as I live," Ron said, tears starting to form in his eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

"Because you can't do this on your own. And because I want to protect you. No one else, but the people in this room have to know who the blood father is, because I will be his father."

"But…what about your future?"

"We'll figure that out when we get there. That doesn't matter right now. All that matters is you, Hermione," he said, putting his other hand on her cheek, wiping off the tears that were still falling.

She closed her eyes and leaned into the touch. "Yes," she whispered.

He got up and hugged her. For a long time, they just held each other.

She suddenly pulled away, and looked him in the eyes. "But where will we live?"

Ron opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. "I…well…I hadn't really thought that far ahead," he said, his ears becoming a light pink.

"You can have Malfoy Manor," Draco said.

They both turned to look at him. "What?" Ron asked.

"Well, I'm certainly not going to use it. I'm going to stay here for as long as I can, and then I'm going to get my own place. If would just sit there to rot, it might as well be put to good use. It could be renamed 'Weasley Manor," Draco said.

"That's not necessary, Draco, but thank you. We'll find our own place," Ron said.

"I think it's a good idea, Ron," Hermione said, tears still in her voice.

They looked each other in the eye for a few seconds, before Ron said, "If that's what you want."

She nodded. "It's what I want. It'll be a good place to raise our son." She suddenly looked uncertain, and turned to Draco. "Won't it?"

"A very good place," he said.

She turned back to Ron. "Where do you want to get married?"

"It's up to you."

"Hogwarts, if my parents can come. Do you want Dumbledore to marry us?" she asked.

"That would be nice." He stood up, grabbing her hand. "Come on, let's go ask him."

"What…now?"

"There's no time like the present!"

A/N: I would like to thank my beta, HarryEstel.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed:

HecateDeMort, kit133kat( ), Jennifer( ), opal( ), 

Replies to reviewers:

KatieCat( ): Don't worry, I won't abandon this story. In fact, I've already finished it, and have started work on both sequels. I just can gurantee how often I will update, but don't worry, I will.

Aqua Mage: Actually, I think it was Ron.

ObsidianEyes( ): A SECOND TIME! Dang! Thanks! 


	75. A Hogwarts Wedding

Chapter Seventy-five: A Hogwarts Wedding

The next week was spent in a flurry of wedding activity. Getting Dumbledore to perform the ceremony and finding a way to have the Grangers attend turned out to be the easy part. Everything, from the kind of dress Hermione would wear, to what kind of flowers to use, all the way down to how the Great Hall would be arranged was the hard and long part. Tempers got frayed and more than one fight broke out.

The easy part was deciding that it would be a small wedding. Only family and close friends would be coming. Ginny would be Hermione's maid of honor and Harry would be Ron's best man.

And then there was the endless debate over whether it should be a traditional muggle or wizarding wedding when it came to what the bride and groom would wear and the vows that would be spoken. It was finally decided that Hermione and Ginny would wear traditional muggle dresses and Ron and Harry would wear traditional wizarding robes, and that the vows would be a combination of both.

The wedding itself was beautiful, and everything went very smoothly. Everyone looked wonderful decked out in their finest clothes, but no one looked more gorgeous than the bride herself.

During the reception, after the toasts were given, Sev and Sirius both stood up to make an announcement.

"We have been asked to make this announcement together," Sev said by way of explanation to a confused bride and groom.

"Because, you see, it wasn't our idea," Sirius continued.

"We just contributed the most," Sev said.

Sirius elbowed Sev rather roughly. "You're jumping ahead, and it was only because we have the most," Sirius whispered roughly.

"Sorry," Sev said loudly, while rolling his eyes.

Sirius gave an exaggerated sigh before continuing on. "Everyone here contributed at least some money to a brand new Weasley account that is waiting for you two in Gringotts."

Sev handed over two keys to Ron. "It's everyone's wedding present to you two. With the money that's in the vault, you are set for life, if you're careful with it."

"Exactly how much is in there?" Hermione asked.

"You'll just have to go there to find out," Sirius said.

"Translation: we don't know, because we don't know how much everyone put in," Sev said.

"Thank you," Ron said to everyone.

When the reception was winding down, Hermione threw her bouquet, and Bill's girlfriend caught it, which works out perfectly, because they were already going to be wed later in the summer.

After the wedding, Draco signed over the house to Hermione and Ron and changed the name on the deed. Malfoy Manor was officially changed to Weasley Manor. Over the next couple of days, the whole winter crew, including Fred and George, plus Sev, camped out in Weasley Manor. The entire place was infested with Dark artifacts, so cleaning it out was a very…interesting experience. Draco and Sev were invaluable because the house _was_ Draco's and Sev _was_ a Death Eater so he knew how to handle a lot of what was in the house.

Once the house was safe for a normal wizard and witch to reside in, everyone moved back to their respective households.

A/N: Thanks to my beta, Harry Estel!

A/N2: Sorry this is so late in coming, I just got back from my spring break, and my friend who Avery is based on came in to town to see me. Don't worry, Avery has never been based on me. I don't believe in that.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed:

a fan( ), HecateDeMort, Jennifer( ), kit133kat( ), Quillian, beauty0102

Replies to reviewers:

Aqua Mage: Yes, he is.

opal( ): Technically, brother, but he'll be called uncle.

tessa3: I'm glad you liked it!


	76. Epilogue: Happily Ever After

A/N: Don't worry, I'm not going to leave you guys hanging here. I've got at least two more fics planned, like I said earlier. The first one will take place the year after the trio graduates and will be called "A New Power Arises." The second one will take place around five or six years after graduation and will be called "A Sorta Fairy Tale," but it will probably be only three or four chapters.

Chapter Seventy-six: Epilogue: Happily Ever After

The rest of the summer flew by. Just like the summer before, tutoring sessions were held for Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Draco, and Avery. Since Harry had neither access to his magic nor the ability to see, he simply sat in on them and listened, which was extremely hard for him to do. Occasionally, Fred and George would stop by for lessons.

The week before school was to start again, Harry's collar came off, and Harry spent the rest of the summer fine tuning his wandless magic to allow him to "see." His 'sight' wasn't perfect; he could basically 'see' out lines, but no color.

When school started, the rest of the school thought that Ron and Hermione had gotten married right after the final battle, so that no one would be suspicious as to when he would be born.

Nothing very remarkable happened during sixth year, other than Hermione's giving birth to a perfectly healthy Ted, short for Theodore. Her and Ron took off the rest of the year and stayed at Weasley Manor.

Nothing too remarkable happened during seventh year either, which was in and of itself remarkable. Ron and Hermione only came to school during the day, and Mrs. Weasley would watch Ted while they were at school. If one of them needed a break, he or she would stay in their old dorms for the night.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco graduated. Ron and Draco got jobs as Aurors, and Harry taught Defense at Hogwarts for many years. Draco and Avery ended up marrying, as did Harry and Ginny.

And the everyone lived happily ever after.

Well, for the most part, anyway...

A/N: Many, many thanks to my incredible beta, HarryEstel, who has seen me through every step of the way.

Many thanks to everyone who has reviewed my story!

Thanks to those of you who reviewed last chapter (that I didn't email):

Aqua Mage, HecateDeMort, saiyanwizardgurl, beauty0102, Jennifer( ), gfhk( ), Flamegirl22( ) 


	77. Chapters 5663

A/N 2-11-08: Hello all! THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE! This is chapters 56-63, for those who are reading it for the first time. The next chapter contains 64-69. After that, go back to the main story.

Enjoy!

Chapter Fifty-six: . . . The Pieces are Moving

That Sunday, Voldemort stood surveying his Death Eaters; all of them were gathered around him.

"Welcome, my loyal Death Eaters. I hope you all know what it is that you have to do come tomorrow?" Several people nodded. Voldemort turned to a shaking Lucius. The man was still not recovered from the long time Voldemort had been forced to use the _cruciatus_ on him. "How goes your work on the wards?"

"Complete, my Lord. Apparating on the grounds outside will be no problem," he answered.

"What about the castle?" Voldemort asked.

"The wards are still perfect around the castle, my Lord. Please, forgive me," Lucius said.

Rather than answer, Voldemort turned to the Hogwarts aged Death Eaters. "All of you know where you will be staying tonight, correct?" All of them nodded. "Good. You're all dismissed."

When they were all gone, he smiled. Everything was going according to plan.

Chapter Fifty-seven: The Calm Before the Storm

When the winter crew reached Hogsmeade, everyone split up, but decided to meet in the Three Broomsticks for lunch. Harry, Ron, and Draco wandered together. Ginny and Avery went as a group, and the twins spent the day in Zonko's. Hermione was in desperate need of alone time. Everyone else thought of that as a good excuse for her to spend the whole day in the bookstore.

Ron, Harry and Draco had been wandering around for about an hour when, out of no where, Harry got the worst headache ever. He bit down on his tounge to resist the urge to scream. He tried to make the headache go away like he had before, but it didn't work. After what felt like several agonizing minutes, the pain slowly went away. All that was left was a dull ache behind his eyes.

When Harry finally opened his eyes, he realized he was on the ground. Except, he didn't remember how he got there. One person on each side of him helped him up. He heard the person on his right say something loud, but he couldn't really tell what it was.

The person on his right, somewhere in the back of his mind he realized that it was Ron, asked him if he was alright. Harry just nodded, and the two hand that were holding him up let go.

When Harry's eyes finally focused, he was able to register what the pain behind his eyes was. It was almost as though someone, a presence, was there, watching out of his eyes. Harry tried to figure out what it was, and then to get it out, but he couldn't.

When lunch time rolled around, Hermione didn't show up. Everyone waited and waited, but she never came.

When everyone gathered to go back to Hogwarts, Hermione was, once again, a no-show. Worried, Harry found Sev, and said, "None of us know where Hermione is."

"What? What do you mean, 'you don't know where Hermione is?' Didn't you guys spend the day with her?" he asked, getting madder and madder the more he talked.

"No. She needed alone time. She's been studying way too hard for two months. The girl needed a break," Harry explained.

Sev growled under his breath and shook his head. "Very well. I'll talk to Dumbledore."

By the time it got dark, everyone knew that Hermione and almost every fifth, sixth and seventh year Slytherin had gone missing. What no one knew was that a search party had been formed only to find Hermione. If they could find Hermione that would probably lead them to the Slytherins. And Voldemort.

The entire winter crew was beyond worried. They had asked to be allowed a part of the search party, but weren't allowed. All they could do was sit in their common rooms and trade increasingly wild stories about where she could have gone.

They all felt powerless.

Chapter Fifty-eight: Deep Breath Before the Plunge

That night, Harry couldn't sleep. Because of the wild stories the common room had come up with, he had horrible dreams, and he kept waking up.

He crawled out of bed when breakfast would first be laid out, grabbed his broom and left a note for Ron telling him where he would be. Classes had been canceled and a get together for the fifth years in McGonagall's class had been arranged. He really didn't want to go to that. Especially since Hermione had gone missing.

After scarfing down breakfast, he nearly ran to the Quidditch pitch. The freedom of flying with no one around was beyond liberating. It had been forever since he'd been able to fly by himself. He flew and he flew and he flew, completely wearing himself out. He had absolutely no idea how long he flew for, nor did he care. All that mattered to him was the feeling of freedom.

There was still the nagging feeling that someone was watching through his eyes, but he tried his best to ignore the feeling. Mainly because there was nothing he could do about it.

When he felt as though he would fall off of his broom from exhaustion and happiness, he landed. He wandered around, enjoying the cool morning breeze. When he got tired of walking, he leaned against a tree in the Forbidden Forrest.

All of a sudden, he got that strange feeling that someone was watching him, and the pain behind his eyes disappeared. As he was reaching for his wandless magic so he could see who it was, his world exploded in agony.

Chapter Fifty-nine: Is This It?

Once Harry realized that it was the _cruciatus_ that he was feeling, he was able to channel it into the sword.

When he was free of the pain, he turned around, and looked right into the red eyes of Lord Voldemort himself.

And laughed.

He held his arms out and said, "Is this it? Is this all the mighty Tom Riddle can handle? A lousy _cruciatus_?"

Voldemort's face turned into an ugly sneer, and he said, with the utmost malice, "Oh, by no means is this my best. You will pay for all you have done for me in the most painful ways!"

Rather than reply, Harry took a deep breath, touching his wandless magic. He kept his eyes locked on Voldemort's, so he wouldn't notice Harry's hand move to his sword and slowly drew it.

For the first time ever, he could _feel_ what Sev had meant by instinct. The power and the magic that came from wandless magic and the sword took Harry's breath away. He cleared his mind of all thoughts, and allowed instinct to take over.

He brought the width blade up to his forehead and allowed the cool steel to touch his head. In so doing, the _cruciatus_ reflected off the sword and back to the caster.

The force caused Voldemort to be thrown back. Harry brought the sword down to his side and let the tip barely touch the ground.

Voldemort picked himself up and strode until he was mere feet from Harry. A grin crept onto Harry's face. Voldemort was making this all too easy.

Harry brought the sword up so that the length was parallel to the ground and level with the base of Voldemort's neck.

"Go to hell, mudblood!" Harry yelled. Voldemort's eyes widened as Harry brought his sword down.

Chapter Sixty: The Worst has Happened

Ron entered the Transfiguration classroom extremely depressed. He needed Harry with him now, but the git decided to go flying. Not that Ron could blame him.

After letting Professor McGonagall know that Harry was flying, he sat down near a window. Draco sat down next to him, but he didn't say anything, which was what Ron needed just then.

They sat there for a long time, neither saying anything. They were both too lost in thoughts to do much talking.

After a long time, Ron looked out the window. His eyes bulged. He rubbed them vigorously. What he was seeing couldn't be right, could it? Voldemort _couldn't _be standing on school grounds, and Harry _couldn't _be calmly facing him. It just wasn't possible.

He got up and discreetly steered McGonagall to the window. She paled.

She took out her wand and transfigured the glass to brick so that no one could see out of it, and ushered Ron and Draco outside.

Ron had to hand it to her. She was doing a remarkable job at staying calm. "I want to two to split up, and run to each classroom, except the North Tower. I'll leave it up to you who goes where. Tell all the teachers 'The worst has happened.' Then go to your common rooms." She turned to a wide-eyed Snuffles. "Don't leave Draco's side, got that?" The dog nodded. McGonagall turned on her heel and left.

"I'll take the north and east side of the castle, you take south and west. You know that McGonagall went to alert Dumbledore, who's gonna alert members of the Order. We should help them fight!" Ron said, trying to sound braver than he felt.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Draco screeched.

"No! This is what we've been training for, haven't you realized that? Look, if you've got the guts to help the Order members, meet me in the Main Hall when you're done talking to the teachers. If you want to hide in the common room, be my guest. But just know that once you step foot in the common room, no one's gonna let you out again," Ron said, becoming braver the more he talked.

Draco sighed and nodded. "Alright. I'll meet you there."

The two boys split up. In the Charms classroom, the last classroom he had to go to, Draco saw that it was the Slytherin and Gryffindor fourth years. Once Flitwick dismissed the class to go to their common rooms, Draco pulled Ginny and Avery aside. "Voldemort's on school grounds, and Ron and I are going to go fight him. Do you two want to come?" Draco asked. Both nodded.

Ron bumped into the twins in DADA and told them basically the same thing. They also nodded.

Chapter Sixty-one: Time Slowed Down

Harry could feel the sword moving. In that instant, for Harry, time slowed down.

He could hear the tip of the blade whistling; see it move inexorably toward its goal.

The blade pierced the skin of Voldemort's neck. His time was up. He couldn't move fast enough. There was no spell that would stop the inevitable.

Blood began to spray. Harry could have counted the drops.

The blade continued to cut through Voldemort's neck like a knife through tissue paper. More blood sprayed. The air was thick with it.

The blade reached the throat and spinal cord. Small bits of white became mixed in with the blood.

The blade cleared the spine, and the blood became pure red once again.

The sword made it to the other side of Voldemort's neck.

Abruptly as the spray of blood began, it stopped.

For a full second that felt like an eternity, nothing moved.

Slowly, Voldemort's head fell back, and landed with a soft _thud_.

His body followed. There was a bump where the body had landed on top of the head.

Time sped back up.

Chapter Sixty-two: Vengeance is Sweet

Harry looked down at his sword. It was covered in blood; small drops were falling from the tip.

Harry got on his knees and reverently wiped the blade of blood.

A realization hit Harry so hard, had he not already been on his knees, he would have fallen to them

Voldemort was dead.

No matter what happened from this point on, the war was over.

His parents deaths; Cedric's death; the deaths of all of those whose lives had been senselessly taken since the war had begun; all their deaths were avenged. None of them had died in vain.

Voldemort was dead.

No one else could die at his hand.

Voldemort was dead; and Harry was free.

No more would Harry have to spend every moment thinking about Voldemort, training for his defeat, for he had just met defeat. Harry could live his life for himself.

Harry was free!

There was a rush of wind. Harry looked up.

He was surrounded by black.

Chapter Sixty-three: All Hell Broke Lose

Death Eaters! He was surrounded by Death Eaters!

Harry was on his feet quicker than lightning. He put both hands on his sword, ready to fight.

But none of them moved.

Right in front of him, two people appeared.

One of them was Hermione!

But she was gagged, and she had a knife at her throat. Harry looked up to see a grinning Lucius Malfoy.

Hermione began to struggle. Small drops of blood began to form around the knife at her throat.

"Stop struggling Hermione!" Harry said. She did. Small tears began to fall.

"I see you managed to kill my Lord. But you see, there is one advantage to that," Lucius said to Harry in that silky smooth voice laced with malice.

"And that would be?" Harry asked in a growl.

"That gives us an excuse to make your death so much more painful." He lowered his face so that he was speaking into Hermione's ear, but he never took his eyes off of Harry. "And the deaths of your loved ones." Hermione began to sob, and the arm Lucius had around her stomach tightened.

"If you hurt . . ." Harry started to say.

"You'll do what? Kill me?" Lucius said mockingly, and laughed.

Harry raised his sword so that a blade was facing the ground, and in one swift motion cut off Lucius' arm that had the knife at Hermione's throat. He dropped to the ground, and a feral yell escaped his lips.

Hermione ripped off the gag, and picked up the knife, his wand, and hunted though Lucius' robes to find her wand.

She stood next to Harry.

And all hell broke lose.


	78. Chapters 64 through 69

A/N 2-11-08: Once again, THIS IS NOT AN UPDATE! It is chapters 64-69.

Enjoy!

Chapter Sixty-four: Might We be of Assistance?

Harry and Hermione turned toward the school. Almost every teacher, the winter crew, the H.A, and several Aurors were all running at full blast down the hill. They were firing curses left and right. Several Death Eaters who couldn't through up shields fast enough fell.

Harry and Hermione took full advantage of the Death Eaters momentary lapse and began to fight with all of their might. With his sword gripped tightly in both hands and nearly lethal wandless magic, Harry cut at everything in sight. He aimed not to kill, but if they ended up dieing, Harry would not have that blood on his hands.

He spared a glance at Hermione. She was not only using her wand to fire extremely well aimed curses, but was using Lucius' knife with remarkable accuracy and ease.

Suddenly, someone lowered his hands, grabbed him by the waist, and forcefully led him out of the middle of the circle of Death Eaters. Harry started to struggle, angry that the intoxicating flow of wandless magic had been stopped.

Then he looked up to see who it was who had him.

It was Sev! And McGonagall had a hold of Hermione.

Once they were past the Death Eaters, Harry immediately threw up a nearly impenetrable, nearly unbreakable, one-way shield over everyone so that magic could only hit the Death Eaters, and began once again fiercely hacking at Death Eaters. Hermione must have gotten the idea, because she continued to use her knife.

The day continued on like that. Rarely were the Death Eaters able to get through Harry's shield, but when they did, the results were disastrous.

The Death Eaters weren't all that accustomed to making shields, so theirs weren't as good. Many more Death Eaters fell that day.

When the sun was starting to set, even the Light Side had taken some pretty nasty blows. Harry was tapping into unknown strengths to keep his sword moving, but he somehow managed to do so.

And the battle raged on.

Sixty-five: Waiting for the Dawn

When night finally set in, both sides conceded to an uneasy truce. Each settled to an opposite side of the battle field. Both had taken heavy injuries, but the Death Eaters had much more damage than the Light.

On the side of the battle field where the Light made camp, a mini potions lab had been set up. All of the potions that had been made over the summer had already been used, and working out of a potions lab inside of the school was too far away from the battle site.

All of the winter crew was working on two potions at once, Harry was working on three, and Sev on four.

The H.A. was also pulling their weight. Those who were gifted in potions were cutting up plants that would be needed, a couple were dispensing the potions according to Madame Pomphrey's instructions, several were cleaning out used cauldrons and phials, and still more were ladling in finished potions into cleaned phials.

A couple hours before dawn, all potions were made, an almost everyone who was injured had been cured and were curled up somewhere, sleeping. Those that needed more help than could be given had been transported by train to St. Mungo's, as any other form of travel would have made their injuries worse.

The summer crew and H.A. finally were able to rest. Most had a little something to eat before curling up to rest.

Before sleeping, though, Harry found Sirius. "How are you able to be out here? Won't people recognize you?" Harry asked his godfather.

Sirius grinned lopsidedly. "Minerva, Professor McGonagall to you, found a handy spell. Those who know of my innocence will see me for me. Those who don't know of my innocence will simply see me as someone who they think they might know from somewhere. The only draw back is that it can only be used once, and for a limited time, 72, hours, max."

"Hhmm, interesting. I'll have to ask her about that later." And Harry curled up under a blanket and went to sleep.

Chapter Sixty-six: The Sun is Rising

Harry felt as though he'd just fallen asleep, when someone started shaking him to wake up. He forced his eyes open, and looked up to see who had woken him. Sev disappeared out of his line of sight just as Harry opened his eyes.

Next to him on his left, he heard Sev whisper, "Draco wake up."

Harry rubbed his eyes and forced himself to sit up. Turing to his right he saw Ron struggling to get up. Standing up, Harry stretched. He looked around the area where the Light had camped out. People were starting to stir. The east was just starting to have a pink hue to it.

Harry made his way around people who were waking up to the edge of the Light side's camp, where the battle had taken place. He could clearly make out the line between the Light side and the Dark side. There was blood red line, and the Death Eaters side was soaked with blood. There were only small specks of blood on the Light's side. Harry must have done more damage with his sword than he thought. Hermione had also done surprisingly well, when he thought back to the brave girl who had fought next to him.

Past where the battle had taken place, Harry could just make out the Dark side's camp. They were also beginning to stir.

The sun was now fully risen.

The sky and the sun had a red tint to them.

Blood will be spilled today.

Chapter Sixty-seven: Side by Side

How long Harry stood there, gazing at the battle field, he didn't know, but it was by someone coming to stand next to him. He looked out of the corner of his eye to see who had come to stand next to him. It was Draco.

"I talked to Dumbledore," Draco said after a moment of silence.

Harry didn't look at Draco, but kept his attention on the field in front of him. "What did he have to say?"

"He wants you to be in the front. Is that alright?"

"Why doesn't he ask me himself?"

"Well. . . he seemed busy. I guess he just saw me first." Harry just nodded. "How can you be so . . .calm?" Draco asked.

"What's the point in worrying? What will happen will happen," Harry stated.

Draco gulped. "Do you think we're going to die?" Draco asked.

Harry glanced at Draco out of the corner of his eye. "Sev trained us well. If we use what he taught us, I don't think so. But don't worry; I'll stand by your side for as long as I can."

Draco chuckled. "If I do die, I never thought I would die standing side by side a Gryffindor."

Harry finally turned to look at Draco, a smirk on his face. "How about side by side your brother?"

Draco grinned and nodded. "Yeah. That I could do."

Harry heard someone stand next to him on his other side. He turned, half expecting to see Dumbledore. What he saw instead was a red-eyed Hermione who looked like she'd spent the night crying rather than sleeping. She held her wand in one hand and Lucius' knife in the other so hard her knuckles were white. She was also looking at the battlefield rather than Harry.

"Hermione?" he asked. She turned to face him. "Are you alright?"

She just nodded.

Harry cocked an eyebrow, and turned to Draco, who had leaned forward to watch them. Draco shrugged. When Harry turned to look at Hermione again, she was facing forward, her eyes dry.

Chapter Sixty-eight: Become who you were Born to Be

The sun was fully over the horizon when it became black with Death Eaters. Harry automatically put up the same shield he'd used yesterday, but he put more power behind it.

Harry called upon his wandless magic, and drew his sword. When the Death Eaters were fully visible, Harry gave an almighty battle cry and ran forward. He barely registered that others had done the same.

The first Death Eater came upon Harry suddenly, and Harry lopped off the Death Eater's arm.

And the battle continued, even more fiercely than it had the day before. The Death Eaters, despite their diminished ranks, seemed to have something to prove.

On and on the battle raged, without any sign of letting up. Harry forced himself to put more power behind his sword. He did not want this battle to go on yet another day.

He was focusing so hard on the instinct that would guide his sword, he neglected his personal shield.

His body suddenly exploded in pain. He tried to use is wandless magic, his instinct, to make it go away while trying to fight at the same time. But his vision started to go blurry, so he ducked out of the battle, and made his way to where they'd made camp the night before.

Once he was clear of the battle, he sheathed his sword and rubbed his eyes to try to make the blurriness go away, but it didn't. He put is hands on his thighs and stared at the ground, hoping, praying, that his vision would get fixed. He poured all of his wandless magic behind it.

He realized that he was standing right on the spot where he killed Voldemort. He could tell by the stain on the ground. It looked as though someone had wiped a blade clean, and beyond that the ground was soaked in blood.

He focused on the blood-red grass as what he could see got smaller and smaller, until all he could see was a pin drop of the blood-red grass.

His sight failed him.

Harry closed his eyes, hoping that when he opened them, he would be looking at the grass.

He opened his eyes.

His world was black.

Harry closed his eyes again, this time calling up more wandless magic and instinct than ever before. He drew his sword, and he could feel the power and energy surrounding him increase exponentially.

He focused on expanding his wandless magic to where he knew the battle to be.

And found, through his magic, he could see! Not perfectly, but well enough. He could see auras; if a person was good, their aura was light, but if they were a Death Eater, it was black or dark. He could recognize those he knew well through their individual auras.

He then realized that all of the excess energy and magic he'd been creating had gone to his hand. Harry focused harder on the battle. He 'saw' the magic that was being performed. He could see the strengths and weaknesses of the battle. He suddenly felt the energy in his hand become hot. Hot like fire.

He flung his hand to the Death Eater's side.

And ran to the edge of the battle.

He began fighting harder than he'd ever fought before. He could no longer see, so he had no idea how much damage he was inflicting on the Death Eaters.

Warm drops began to fall on his face, and the more he fought, he harder they fell. Was it rain or blood that was falling?

But Harry was beyond caring. For each Death Eater he hurt would be one less Death Eater that would hurt one of his friends.

He fought and fought, but for how long, Harry didn't know. He could have fought for two minutes or two hours. Time lost meaning a long time ago. Harry threw all of his energy, magical and physical, into fighting.

Suddenly, there was no one in front of him. He could feel the strength in his legs give out, and tried to do something to stop himself from falling, but he couldn't.

Lying down became a welcome relief.

Chapter Sixty-nine: How did it Come to This?

Cornelius Fudge sat at his desk, beyond shocked. He couldn't believe the report on his desk. Voldemort had indeed been resurrected, but he was now dead. Several Death Eaters had died, and others were being held at St. Mungo's or a wizarding prison in the middle of nowhere.

He couldn't get his breath, and his chest was starting to hurt.

He slowly raised his eyes to his secretary. "How did it come to this?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

He looked at the list of Death Eaters that had died. Lucius Malfoy was on this list. He had trusted him! Malfoy had said that Voldemort hadn't risen and he blindly believed him!

His left hand was going numb; he flexed it. His chest was hurting even more.

There was a battle on Hogwarts grounds, and students had been a part of it! STUDENTS! Fifth and fourth years!

He groaned as he felt his head hit the table.


End file.
